John Kivela (May 14, 1969 – May 9, 2017) was an American politician who served as a member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

from 2013 until his death in 2017, and as Mayor of

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...

, from 2008 until 2012. Kivela was first elected in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

. His district consisted of Alger, Luce and Schoolcraft counties and part of Marquette County. His family owned an automotive repair and distributor business in Marquette.

Death

Kivela was found dead on May 9, 2017, at a home he owned in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

. He hanged himself. Hours earlier, he was released from jail following his second arrest for drunk driving. After his first arrest in 2015, he acknowledged he had a lifelong drinking problem and said he was seeking help.

References

1969 births 2017 suicides 21st-century American politicians American politicians who committed suicide Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Mayors of places in Michigan People from Marquette, Michigan Businesspeople from Michigan Suicides by hanging in Michigan 20th-century American businesspeople 2017 deaths {{Michigan-politician-stub