John Engler

John Mathias Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American politician, lawyer, businessman, and lobbyist who served as the 46th governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003.

Considered one of the country's top lobbyists, he is a member of the Republican Party.

Engler, a Roman Catholic, was born in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on October 12, 1948, to Mathias John Engler and his wife, Agnes Marie (née Neyer), but grew up on a cattle farm near Beal City.

He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives as a state representative in 1970 at the age of 22.

He attended Michigan State University, graduating with a degree in agricultural economics in 1971, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, graduating with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1981.

He served in the House from 1971 to 1978.

His campaign manager in that first election was a college friend, Dick Posthumus.

Engler later became the first Republican youth vice-chair for the Michigan Republican Party, defeating future U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham.

Posthumus later went on to be elected a state senator, Senate Majority Leader and Lieutenant Governor.

Engler was serving in the Michigan Senate when he enrolled at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree, having served as a Michigan State senator since 1979.

He was elected Senate majority leader in 1984 and served there until being elected governor in 1990.

In 1990, Engler, then the state senate majority leader, challenged Governor James Blanchard in his bid for a third term.

Political observers viewed his bid as a long shot, and he trailed Blanchard by double digits in the polls the weekend before the election.

However, on election day, Engler pulled off the upset, defeating Blanchard by approximately 17,000 votes—a margin of less than one percentage point.

He was reelected in 1994 and 1998, and is the last Michigan governor to serve more than two terms.

After his governorship, he worked for Business Roundtable.

Engler served on the board of advisors of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, an educational organization that continues the intellectual legacy of noted conservative and Michigan native Russell Kirk.

Engler also served on the board of trustees of the Marguerite Eyer Wilbur Foundation, which funds many Kirk Center programs.

In 1994, Engler ran for his second term.

The Democrats nominated former Representative Howard Wolpe, who had close ties to the labor movement—a potent force in Democratic politics in Michigan.

Engler bested Wolpe 61 to 39 percent, and the state Republican Party made significant gains.

Spencer Abraham picked up the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Donald Riegle.

In 1996, he was elected chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and in 2001, he was elected to head the National Governors Association.

During the 1996 presidential election, Engler was considered to be a potential vice presidential running mate for Republican nominee Bob Dole.

However, Dole instead selected Jack Kemp, a former representative and HUD secretary.

He was Engler's running mate in the 1998 election and served from 1999 to 2003.

Engler's administration was characterized by privatization of state services, income tax reduction, a sales tax increase, educational reform, welfare reform, and major reorganization of executive branch departments.

Engler endorsed Texas Governor George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican primary.

After Bush secured the GOP nomination, Engler's name was again floated as a possible running mate.

In his book Decision Points, Bush says that Engler was someone he was "close" with and could "work well with."

Ultimately, Engler was passed over for the running mate position in favor of Dick Cheney.

After the election, Engler's close political ally Spencer Abraham, who narrowly lost his re-election bid for the Senate to Debbie Stabenow, was chosen as Bush's Secretary of Energy.

In 2002, near the end of his final term, Engler and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality attempted to negotiate a consent order with Dow Chemical that would have resulted in a ninefold increase in the allowable levels of dioxins.

The consent order would have resulted in Dow not having to pay to clean up high levels of toxins in Midland, Michigan, near its plant there, as well as in the Tittabawassee flood plain, which had been contaminated by dioxins dumped into the river from the facility and from overflow from waste ponds.

The consent order fell through in late 2002.

Engler's lieutenant governor, Dick Posthumus, sought to succeed Engler in the 2002 gubernatorial race.

Posthumus lost the race to the state's attorney general, Democrat Jennifer Granholm.

Engler was a member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation board of trustees until 2014.

As of 2018, he serves on the board of directors of Universal Forest Products.

Previous board service included serving as a director of Dow Jones and Delta Air Lines and as a trustee of Munder Funds.