John Engler
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John M. Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American politician. He served as a Republican governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003.
Engler, a Catholic, was born in Mount Pleasant and grew up on a cattle farm in Beal City. He attended Michigan State University, where he was chairman of the College Republicans. In 1971 he graduated with a degree in agricultural economics and was elected as a State Representative at the age of 23. His campaign manager was new MSU College Republican chair Dick Posthumus, who later went on to become Engler's Lieutenant Governor.
Engler has spent most of his adult life in government. He was serving in the Michigan House when he enrolled at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and graduated with a J.D. in 1981, having served as a Michigan State Senator since 1979. He was elected Senate Majority Leader in 1985 and served there until elected governor in 1990.
His administration was characterized by privatization of state services, tax reduction, educational reform, and major reconfiguration and renaming of executive branch departments. In 1996 he was elected Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He was widely touted as a potential candidate for President in the 2000 election, and as a running mate when he declined to run himself.
Posthumus sought to succeed Engler in the 2002 gubernatorial race, but lost to Democrat Jennifer Granholm.
Engler married his wife Michelle, a lawyer, in 1990. She was named to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) board in 2001 by President George W. Bush and re-appointed in 2002. The couple have triplet daughters born November 13, 1994.
Since leaving the governor's mansion, Engler has become president of the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, D.C., and he now lives in northern Virginia with his family.
Lieutenant governors:
Democratic opponents:
- James Blanchard (incumbent), 1990
- Howard Wolpe, 1994
- Geoffrey Fieger, 1998
| Preceded by: James Blanchard | Governors of Michigan | Succeeded by: Jennifer Granholm |