Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
State of Michigan

Jennifer M. Granholm Governor of Michigan

JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM was re-elected the 47th governor of Michigan in November 2006.  Since taking office in 2003, she has successfully resolved more than $4 billion in budget deficits, trimming more from state government than any governor in Michigan's history.  A fiscal hawk, Granholm has worked to ensure that state government spends every penny efficiently.  At the same time, she is working aggressively to diversify Michigan's economy, ensure world-class educational opportunities for every Michigan student, create universal access to affordable health care, and stand up for Michigan workers and families during tough economic times.

Governor Granholm has set in motion a comprehensive economic agenda, which includes creating thousands of jobs for Michigan workers by accelerating infrastructure projects, training unemployed workers for high-demand jobs, and diversifying Michigan's economy through an unprecedented $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund.  By going anywhere and doing anything to attract business to Michigan, Granholm has convinced companies like Google, Whirlpool, United Solar Ovonic, Keebler, Advance Photonix, Hemlock Semiconductor, and Grupo Aernnova to choose Michigan for relocation or expansion.  Her investment missions to Japan, Germany, and Sweden have brought back millions of dollars in new investment and more than a thousand new jobs.  She has continued to push for fair trade policies at the federal level.  And, Governor Granholm created Michigan's first-ever state-level earned-income tax credit to put more money into the pockets of working families.  She also increased the minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade.

Governor Granholm announced the No Worker Left Behind program in her 2007 State of the State address, which will provide up to two years of free tuition to displaced Michigan workers at any Michigan community college, university, or other approved training program.  Her MI Opportunity Partnership program introduced in 2005, has trained and placed more than 112,000 Michigan workers in jobs in high-demand careers such as health care and skilled trades. 

Governor Granholm also signed into law the new Michigan Business Tax (MBT), which beginning in 2008, replaces Michigan's Single Business Tax (SBT).  The MBT will cut taxes for more than seven out of ten Michigan businesses, including both small businesses and Michigan's major manufacturers.  It will provide the same amount of revenue as the Single Business Tax it replaces, while encouraging job creation in Michigan.

Granholm's focus on families has meant expanded health care coverage for approximately 300,000 uninsured Michiganians.  She saved the state nearly $40 million in 2003 by introducing the nation's first bulk-buying pool for prescription drugs; and in 2004, she extended those savings to citizens by introducing the MiRx Card which provides discount prescription drugs to thousands of uninsured families.  Governor Granholm continues to fight to make health care universally affordable and accessible to everyone in Michigan.  In her 2006 State of the State address, she called for the Michigan First Health Care Plan which will be the first in the state's history to extend universal access to affordable health care to every family in Michigan. 

Governor Granholm also introduced the Insurance Pooling Initiative that has made lower home-owners and automobile insurance rates available to metro-Detroit and Flint-area residents.

Despite tough fiscal times, Granholm has increased spending for Michigan's public schools to record levels.  The first in her family to attend college, Granholm has championed universal access to higher education.  In December 2006, Granholm signed legislation creating the Michigan Promise scholarship, a first-in-the-nation program that awards $4,000 to every Michigan student who successfully completes two years of post-secondary education.

Michigan was cited by Governing magazine as the third best-managed state in the nation giving Michigan and the Granholm administration high marks in the areas of money, people, infrastructure, and information management. 

Granholm began her career in public service as a clerk for U.S. Judge Damon Keith on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.  In 1990, Granholm became a federal prosecutor in Detroit, where she maintained a 98 percent conviction rate.  In 1994, Granholm was appointed Wayne County corporation counsel.  She worked to reduce taxpayer-funded lawsuit payouts by 87 percent.  Elected Michigan's first female attorney general in 1998, Granholm continued her fight to protect Michigan's citizens and consumers.  She established the state's first high-tech crime unit to prosecute Internet crimes. 

Following the September 11 attacks, Granholm led a multi-agency effort to ensure that Michigan laws could effectively be used to fight terrorism at the state level.  In the wake of the attacks, as well as following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Granholm, an advocate for protecting citizens and their pocketbooks, took swift action to protect consumers from price gouging at the pump by unscrupulous gas station owners.  As attorney general, Granholm also started a successful statewide mentoring initiative.

Jennifer Granholm was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an honors graduate of both the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Law School.  She serves as the Policy Chair of the Democratic Governors Association and is chair of the Economic Development and Commerce Committee of the National Governors Association.  She and her husband, Daniel G. Mulhern, have three children.