Debbie Stabenow
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Debbie Stabenow | |
Junior Senator, Michigan
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In office 2001–Present |
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Preceded by | Spencer Abraham |
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Succeeded by | Incumbent (2013) |
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Born | April 29, 1950 Gladwin, Michigan |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Tom Athans |
Religion | United Methodist |
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Stabenow (born April 29, 1950) is a Democratic United States Senator from Michigan.
In the 2000 election, Stabenow defeated the Republican incumbent, Senator Spencer Abraham (whom George W. Bush later named Secretary of Energy). She was the first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate, and, along with Washington's Maria Cantwell, the first woman to defeat an incumbent elected senator. Stabenow was re-elected in 2006. She is considered a potential candidate for governor of Michigan in 2010.
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[edit] Early life and career
Stabenow was born in Gladwin, Michigan and grew up in Clare, Michigan. She graduated from Clare High School. She received a B.A. from Michigan State University in 1972 and an M.S.W. magna cum laude from Michigan State University in 1975. While in graduate school, Stabenow won her first election, to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, a position in which she served from 1975-1978. She has also worked as a social worker, and a leadership training consultant. She served in the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1979-1990, where she became the first woman to preside over the House. She also served in the State Senate from 1991-1994. In 1994, she made an unsuccessful primary run for Michigan Governor, after which she was chosen as the running mate (Michigan Lieutenant Governor), but the Democratic ticket was not successful.
She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996 from Michigan's Eighth District and served two terms. She did not seek reelection to the House of Representatives in 2000, but was elected to the U.S. Senate. Stabenow was considered the underdog for much of the Senate race, but rallied in the final weeks of the campaign to unseat Abraham by a narrow margin. Abraham's wife Jane was rumored to be a Republican candidate for Stabenow's 2006 reelection, but opted out of the race.
[edit] Michigan legislature
In the Michigan House, Stabenow was a leader in the passage of the one of the first laws in the U.S. that required all Michigan children to ride in car seats until age 5. She authored a domestic violence law which increased criminal penalties for those committing domestic violence offences. She was the first woman to preside over the House.
In the Michigan Senate, Stabenow was a leader in the passage of bills including Michigan's Historic property tax cuts, small business reforms, and legislation to protect families and children in the state.
[edit] United States Senate
She is currently a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Budget, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Previously, she also served on the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Stabenow is only the second person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the Michigan State Legislature and in both houses of the United States Congress. The first was Thomas W. Ferry. Stabenow is also the first person to have served as a Michigan state legislator to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate (until enactment of the Seventeenth amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by the state legislature). No former Michigan state legislator had served in the U.S. Senate since 1894, when Francis B. Stockbridge died.
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Stabenow was the first Senator to author legislation that would waive all transportation fees to Americans trapped in Lebanon, so that their deportation back to America would not cost them. She authored a law that was the first to ban drilling in the Great Lakes.
On August 31, 2006, Senator Stabenow, along with Senator Carl Levin and Rep. John Dingell, announced an agreement that would completely cease Ontario's dumping of solid waste in Michigan within four years. This issue has been a crucial issue in Michigan for the past several years. Previously in the Senate, Stabenow wrote legislation intended to reduce the dumping of Canadian trash into Michigan by requiring machines to search trash being dumped across the border.[1] More recently, she unanimously passed a law requiring the payment of $420 inspection fee for every truck-load of Canadian Trash being brought into Michigan.[2]
Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2004, when she was elected by her colleagues to be secretary of the Democratic caucus. As caucus secretary, she assists Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to set the Democrats' agenda and priorities. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was elected Minority Whip, the Democrats' second-ranking spot.
On August 17, Survey USA released their index of approval rating ranking of United State Senators. Stabenow was listed at 74th place, tied with Harry Reid (D-NV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD). [3]
[edit] 2006 re-election campaign
Stabenow faced her first re-election in the 2006 election. There were three Republicans who declared their candidacy: Reverend Keith Butler, a former Detroit City Councilman; Dr. Jerry Zandstra, a former director at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty; and Michael Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff and former state Senate majority leader. Jerry Zandstra failed to be placed on the ballot, due to insufficient certified petition signatures. Michael Bouchard won the Republican primary but was defeated by Stabenow in the general election. Stabenow received 57% of the vote while Bouchard received 41%.
[edit] Family
Debbie Stabenow lives in Lansing with her husband, Tom Athans. She has two children, Michelle and Todd, and a stepdaughter named Gina. She belongs to the Grace United Methodist Church.
[edit] Electoral history
- 2006 Race for U.S. Senate
- Debbie Stabenow (D), 57%
- Michael Bouchard (R), 41%
- 2000 Race for U.S. Senate
- Debbie Stabenow (D), 49%
- Spencer Abraham (R) (inc.), 48%
- 1998 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - 8th District
- Debbie Stabenow (D) (inc.), 58%
- Susan Munsell (R), 39%
- 1996 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - 8th District
- Debbie Stabenow (D), 54%
- Dick Chrysler (R) (inc.), 44%
[edit] External links
- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
- Senator Stabenow's Campaign Website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- About.com Profile of Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
- Michigan Democratic Party
- Michigan Liberal's Junior Senator section
- Critical site paid for by the Michigan Republican Party
- Senator Stabenow's approval rating tracked by Survey USA
- Michigan candidates for the U.S. Senate
- Debbie Stabenow on the Issues
Preceded by: Dick Chrysler |
United States Representative for the 8th Congressional District of Michigan 1997–2001 |
Succeeded by: Mike Rogers |
Preceded by: Spencer Abraham |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Michigan 2001– |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
Categories: 1950 births | American social workers | United States Senators | Living people | Members of the Michigan House of Representatives | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan | American Methodists | Methodist politicians | Michigan State Senators | Michigan State University alumni | United States Senators from Michigan