John Engler - Definition and Overview

John Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American politician. He served as a Republican governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003.

Engler, a Catholic, attended Michigan State University, where he was chairman of the College Republicans. In 1971 he graduated with a degree in agricultrual economics and was elected as a State Represenative 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 and sought to succeed Engler in the 2002 gubernatorial race (Jennifer Granholm won the election instead). Engler also served as a Michigan State Senator and Senate Majority Leader. His administration was characterized by privatization of state services, and major reconfiguration and renaming of executive branch departments.

Engler's wife Michelle, a lawyer, was named to the Federal Home Mortgage Insurance Corp. board which oversees a government-sponsored company that finances and insures billions of dollars worth of home mortgages.

Lieutenant governors:

• Connie Binsfeld, 1991-1999
• Dick Posthumus, 1999-2003

Democratic opponents:

• James Blanchard (incumbent), 1990
• Howard Wolpe, 1994
• Geoffrey Feiger, 1998

Education:

• Michigan State University
• Thomas M. Cooley Law School