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Gary Peters (Michigan politician)
Encyclopedia
Gary Peters
is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district includes most of Oakland County
, a suburban county northwest of Detroit. He previously represented the 14th District in the Michigan Senate
, and was a political science
professor
at Central Michigan University
. After the 2010 United States Census, Michigan lost a congressional district. Peters was drawn into the same district as Democrat U.S. Congressman Sander Levin. In September 2011, he announced in would run in the newly redrawn 14th district
.
in 1980 and received a master of business administration
degree from the University of Detroit in 1984. Peters also holds a degree from the Wayne State University Law School
and an M.A. in philosophy from Michigan State University
.
Peters served as a Lieutenant Commander
and a Seabee
Combat Warfare Specialist in the United States Navy
Reserve. His reserve duty included time in the Persian Gulf
supporting Operation Southern Watch
, and he served overseas during increased military activity following the September 11, 2001 attacks
. During his service he received awards and citations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
.
at Wayne State and strategic management
and business policy courses at Oakland University
.
He has also been a senior policy and financial analyst for the Michigan Department of Treasury and a financial manager at Merrill Lynch
, and has served on arbitration panels for the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange
.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
appointed Peters as the Michigan Lottery
commissioner on April 9, 2003. As lottery commissioner, Peters helped to implement new games and more efficient methods of delivering products. In Michigan, the lottery is designed to provide financial support to K-12
public education.
In April 2007, Peters became the third Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chairman in American Government at Central Michigan University
. The position required him to teach one course and organize one public policy
-related forum each semester through the 2009-2010 academic year. He received a salary of $65,000 per year, from the Robert and Marjorie Griffin endowment.
to represent the Oakland County-based 14th District. He was re-elected in 1998 and served until 2002, when he retired due to term limits. Peters was succeeded in the 14th district by Gilda Jacobs
.
, it includes the cities of Huntington Woods
, Southfield
, and Oak Park
.
Peters was chosen by his Democratic colleagues to chair his party's caucus. He was also a member of the Michigan Law Revision Commission and served on the Michigan Sentencing Commission. Both the Michigan State House of Representatives
and the Senate passed a bill sponsored by Peters which banned any new wells under the state waters of the Great Lakes except in case of a state energy emergency. The bill passed into law without the signature of Governor John Engler
. Peters supported a bill that led to the criminalization of the possession of body armor by convicted felons. Peters also wrote a bill that was the initial establishment of penalties for false threats of chemical and biological weapons, which became law before the September 11, 2001 attacks
.
On August 7, 2007, Peters ended months of speculation by formally announcing he would run against Joe Knollenberg for his congressional seat. Peters resigned as state lottery commissioner to devote his full energy to the campaign.
National Democrats and local pundits considered Peters to be a strong candidate. Knollenberg was considered vulnerable due to an increasing Democratic trend in what was once a heavily Republican district. He was nearly defeated in 2006 by Nancy Skinner, a former radio talk-show host who spent virtually no money, leading the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
to target him for defeat. Knollenberg's opponents in 2002 and 2004 performed significantly below the Democratic base in the 9th District. In the 2002 state attorney general race, Peters performed at or above the Democratic base in 72 percent of the 9th District precincts. In his 1998 state Senate campaign, he performed at or above base in 99 percent of the precincts.
Peters won the November 4 election by 33,524 votes, taking 52 percent of the vote to Knollenberg's 43 percent. Barack Obama
carried Oakland County by 15 points; roughly two-thirds of Oakland County is in the 9th. He is only the fourth person to represent this district since its creation in 1933 (it was the 17th District from 1933 to 1953, the 18th from 1953 to 1973, the 19th from 1973 to 1983, the 18th again from 1983 to 1993, the 11th from 1993 to 2003 and has been the 9th since 2003), and the first Democrat.
2010
Peters was challenged by Republican Andrew (Rocky) Raczkowski
, Libertarian Adam Goodman, Independent Bob Gray, Independent Matthew Kuofie, and Green Douglas Campbell.
Peters won the election.
2012
In the newly redrawn congressional districts, Peters lives in the 12th district
with Democrat U.S. Congressman Sander Levin. He will run in the newly redrawn 14th district
, that contains some parts of his current district and his old State Senate district. He will face U.S. Congressman Hansen Clarke
, who also doesn't live in the district, and Southfield
Mayor Brenda Lawrence in the competitive primary.
movement, making an appearance at Occupy Detroit on November 6th. Speaking to reporters, he stated:
However, two of Peters biggest campaign contributors, DTE energy, and Bank of America, have seen their downtown offices marched on by Occupy Detroit.
Peters, a former lieutenant commander in the Navy, states on his Website that “The United States should have two goals: to maintain the best equipped and best trained fighting force in the world, and to use it as sparingly as possible.” Peters voting record reflects this, particularly a resolution in the house which prohibits the president from deploying ground troops in Libya.
On the issue of Abortion, Peters has received excellent (100%) ratings consistently from several prominent pro-choice groups, such as Planned parenthood
, and NARAL Pro-Choice America
. In addition, He was one of 118 house democrats who signed a letter to the president urging him to support the United National Population Fund (UNFPA), a multinational organization that provides health services (including Birth control) to women, children and families in over 150 countries.
. As the Democratic nominee for attorney general, he lost to Republican Mike Cox
. The margin in the race was close, with Peters coming within 5,200 votes—less than a 0.17 percent margin. Peters decided not to contest the election results despite reported irregularities. Several mistakes were reportedly found during analysis, including a precinct in Dearborn
which recorded Peters with 96 votes when he actually had 396. The race was the closest statewide contest in Michigan since the 1950 governor's race.
is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district includes most of Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
, a suburban county northwest of Detroit. He previously represented the 14th District in the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
, and was a political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
. After the 2010 United States Census, Michigan lost a congressional district. Peters was drawn into the same district as Democrat U.S. Congressman Sander Levin. In September 2011, he announced in would run in the newly redrawn 14th district
Michigan's 14th congressional district
Michigan's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in Wayne County, Michigan, encompassing the northwest side of Detroit, the suburbs located immediately west of the city, the Downriver suburbs adjacent to the Detroit River and the enclaves of Highland Park and Hamtramck. It has...
.
Early life, education, and military service
Peters was born December 1, 1958 in Oakland County, where he grew up. He graduated from Alma CollegeAlma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
in 1980 and received a master of business administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree from the University of Detroit in 1984. Peters also holds a degree from the Wayne State University Law School
Wayne State University Law School
Wayne State University Law School is located in the City of Detroit’s Cultural Center, and is one of the schools of Wayne State University. It is one of two public law schools in the state of Michigan. The Law School has educated and trained lawyers since 1927, and its 10,000+ alumni serve as...
and an M.A. in philosophy from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Peters served as a Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
and a Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
Combat Warfare Specialist in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Reserve. His reserve duty included time in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
supporting Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
, and he served overseas during increased military activity following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. During his service he received awards and citations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service...
and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
The Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal is a military award which was created under Executive Order 12830 by George H. W. Bush on January 9, 1993...
.
Business and academic career
Peters has taught financeFinance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
at Wayne State and strategic management
Strategic management
Strategic management is a field that deals with the major intended and emergent initiatives taken by general managers on behalf of owners, involving utilization of resources, to enhance the performance of firms in their external environments...
and business policy courses at Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
.
He has also been a senior policy and financial analyst for the Michigan Department of Treasury and a financial manager at Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
, and has served on arbitration panels for the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
appointed Peters as the Michigan Lottery
Michigan Lottery
The Michigan Lottery offers numerous on-line and scratch-off games, giving players a wide variety of prize possibilities. Initiated under the authority of Public Act 239 in 1972, the games collect funds to support Michigan’s public school system.- History :...
commissioner on April 9, 2003. As lottery commissioner, Peters helped to implement new games and more efficient methods of delivering products. In Michigan, the lottery is designed to provide financial support to K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
public education.
In April 2007, Peters became the third Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chairman in American Government at Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
. The position required him to teach one course and organize one public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
-related forum each semester through the 2009-2010 academic year. He received a salary of $65,000 per year, from the Robert and Marjorie Griffin endowment.
Elections
In November 1994, Peters was elected to the Michigan SenateMichigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
to represent the Oakland County-based 14th District. He was re-elected in 1998 and served until 2002, when he retired due to term limits. Peters was succeeded in the 14th district by Gilda Jacobs
Gilda Jacobs
Gilda Z. Jacobs was a Democratic member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 14th District from 2003 through 2010. The mostly suburban district is in southeastern Oakland County, and includes the cities of Farmington Hills, Huntington Woods, Southfield, and Oak Park. Jacobs was a member of the...
.
Tenure
The district is one of the most diverse state Senate districts—containing nearly every racial, ethnic and religious group in Michigan. Located in southeastern Oakland CountyOakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
, it includes the cities of Huntington Woods
Huntington Woods, Michigan
Huntington Woods is a city in southern Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,238 at the 2010 census. Huntington Woods is an inner suburb of Detroit and is bounded by Ten Mile and Eleven Mile Roads to the north and south, and by Coolidge Highway and Woodward Avenue to...
, Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
, and Oak Park
Oak Park, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,793 people, 11,104 households, and 7,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,863.8 persons per square mile . There were 11,370 housing units at an average density of 2,263.9 per square mile...
.
Peters was chosen by his Democratic colleagues to chair his party's caucus. He was also a member of the Michigan Law Revision Commission and served on the Michigan Sentencing Commission. Both the Michigan State House of Representatives
Michigan State 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 2000 federal U.S. Census.Members are elected in...
and the Senate passed a bill sponsored by Peters which banned any new wells under the state waters of the Great Lakes except in case of a state energy emergency. The bill passed into law without the signature of Governor John Engler
John Engler
John Mathias Engler is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 46th Governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003....
. Peters supported a bill that led to the criminalization of the possession of body armor by convicted felons. Peters also wrote a bill that was the initial establishment of penalties for false threats of chemical and biological weapons, which became law before the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
Committee assignments
He served as the vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and was a member of the Education, Judiciary and Families Committee and the Mental Health and Human Services Committee.Elections
2008On August 7, 2007, Peters ended months of speculation by formally announcing he would run against Joe Knollenberg for his congressional seat. Peters resigned as state lottery commissioner to devote his full energy to the campaign.
National Democrats and local pundits considered Peters to be a strong candidate. Knollenberg was considered vulnerable due to an increasing Democratic trend in what was once a heavily Republican district. He was nearly defeated in 2006 by Nancy Skinner, a former radio talk-show host who spent virtually no money, leading the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
to target him for defeat. Knollenberg's opponents in 2002 and 2004 performed significantly below the Democratic base in the 9th District. In the 2002 state attorney general race, Peters performed at or above the Democratic base in 72 percent of the 9th District precincts. In his 1998 state Senate campaign, he performed at or above base in 99 percent of the precincts.
Peters won the November 4 election by 33,524 votes, taking 52 percent of the vote to Knollenberg's 43 percent. Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
carried Oakland County by 15 points; roughly two-thirds of Oakland County is in the 9th. He is only the fourth person to represent this district since its creation in 1933 (it was the 17th District from 1933 to 1953, the 18th from 1953 to 1973, the 19th from 1973 to 1983, the 18th again from 1983 to 1993, the 11th from 1993 to 2003 and has been the 9th since 2003), and the first Democrat.
2010
Peters was challenged by Republican Andrew (Rocky) Raczkowski
Andrew Raczkowski
Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski is an American politician from Michigan, the 2010 Republican nominee for .- Early life, education and career :A resident of Farmington Hills, he is a major with the U.S. Army Reserves...
, Libertarian Adam Goodman, Independent Bob Gray, Independent Matthew Kuofie, and Green Douglas Campbell.
Peters won the election.
2012
In the newly redrawn congressional districts, Peters lives in the 12th district
Michigan's 12th congressional district
Michigan's 12th congressional district is a United States Congressional District located in Detroit's inner suburbs to the north, along the Interstate 696 corridor in Macomb and Oakland counties, as well as a portion of Macomb north of the corridor....
with Democrat U.S. Congressman Sander Levin. He will run in the newly redrawn 14th district
Michigan's 14th congressional district
Michigan's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in Wayne County, Michigan, encompassing the northwest side of Detroit, the suburbs located immediately west of the city, the Downriver suburbs adjacent to the Detroit River and the enclaves of Highland Park and Hamtramck. It has...
, that contains some parts of his current district and his old State Senate district. He will face U.S. Congressman Hansen Clarke
Hansen Clarke
Hansen Hashim Clarke is the U.S. Representative for . Clarke, a Democrat, was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1991 through 1992, and from 1999 through 2002. He then served in the Michigan Senate, representing the 1st District from January 1, 2003 to January 3, 2011. Clarke...
, who also doesn't live in the district, and Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
Mayor Brenda Lawrence in the competitive primary.
Tenure
Peters has allied himself with the Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
movement, making an appearance at Occupy Detroit on November 6th. Speaking to reporters, he stated:
However, two of Peters biggest campaign contributors, DTE energy, and Bank of America, have seen their downtown offices marched on by Occupy Detroit.
Peters, a former lieutenant commander in the Navy, states on his Website that “The United States should have two goals: to maintain the best equipped and best trained fighting force in the world, and to use it as sparingly as possible.” Peters voting record reflects this, particularly a resolution in the house which prohibits the president from deploying ground troops in Libya.
On the issue of Abortion, Peters has received excellent (100%) ratings consistently from several prominent pro-choice groups, such as Planned parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
, and NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
. In addition, He was one of 118 house democrats who signed a letter to the president urging him to support the United National Population Fund (UNFPA), a multinational organization that provides health services (including Birth control) to women, children and families in over 150 countries.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and TechnologyUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and TechnologyThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services...
- Committee on Small BusinessUnited States House Committee on Small BusinessThe United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
2002 statewide elections
In his final year as a member of the Michigan Senate, Peters was both a candidate for governor and later Attorney GeneralMichigan Attorney General
The Attorney General of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and...
. As the Democratic nominee for attorney general, he lost to Republican Mike Cox
Mike Cox
Mike Cox was Michigan's 52nd Attorney General; the first Republican to hold that office since 1955. Cox took office in 2003 and won re-election in 2006. Michigan Governor Jennifer M...
. The margin in the race was close, with Peters coming within 5,200 votes—less than a 0.17 percent margin. Peters decided not to contest the election results despite reported irregularities. Several mistakes were reportedly found during analysis, including a precinct in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
which recorded Peters with 96 votes when he actually had 396. The race was the closest statewide contest in Michigan since the 1950 governor's race.
Personal life
Peters is married to Colleen Ochoa and they have three children. They reside in Bloomfield Hills.External links
- Congressman Gary Peters official U.S. House site
- Gary Peters for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Follow the Money - Gary Peters
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...