John Engler

John Engler was elected the 46th Governor of Michigan in 1990. He immediately launched the Taxpayers Agenda, a bold strategy to cut taxes, downsize government, create jobs, improve Michigan’s business climate, and improve the quality of public schools. Engler was reelected in 1994 with more than 61 percent of the vote-the second biggest plurality in Michigan history.

Throughout his first term, Governor Engler took decisive action to trim the size of government and give taxpayers more for their money. He cut spending by more than $2 billion, and in the process, transformed the $1.8 billion deficit he inherited into a surplus of more than $600 million. At the same time, Engler has signed 15 tax cuts into law, saving Michigan taxpayers more than $1 billion annually. Under Governor Engler’s leadership, Michigan leads the nation in the creation of high paying, high quality jobs. Michigan employers have created 500,000 new jobs in the last three years.

Governor Engler has won approval of the nation’s most dramatic shift in a century in the way public schools are financed. He has also won approval for the nation’s most far-reaching charter school legislation.

John Engler earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Michigan State University and has a J.D. degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. In 1970, he was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and advanced to the Senate in 1978, where he served as Majority Leader. Governor Engler and his wife, Michelle, were blessed with three baby girls in November, 1994.