Mike Bishop (politician)

Early life, education, and career

Bishop graduated from Rochester Adams High School, and graduated from University of Michigan in 1989. He received a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. Bishop worked at the law firm of Booth Patterson until 2002. He later became a senior attorney at Simon, Galasso & Frantz. Bishop is also a licensed real estate broker and has owned two local real estate businesses, Freedom Realty, Inc. and Pro Management, Inc. Bishop is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, District of Columbia Bar, Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, Oakland County Bar Association, Michigan Association of Realtors, and National Association of Realtors.

Bishop served on the Municipal Law and Business Law committees of the Oakland County Bar Association and is a member of the National Association of Sportsmen Legislators. Following his time in the Michigan Legislature, Bishop worked as chief legal officer for International Bancard Corporation and taught at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Prior to his election in the 45th District, Bishop unsuccessfully campaigned for a University of Michigan Board of Regents position in 1996.

Michigan legislature

Michigan House of Representatives

Bishop served in the Michigan State House from 1999 to 2002 representing the 45th District, which covered much of the same territory where his father, Donald Bishop, had served.

Michigan Senate

Bishop was elected to the State Senate in 2002 to represent the 12th district, a seat which had previously been held by his father. He served until term limits prevented him from seeking re-election in 2010. Before his time as majority leader, Bishop was chosen to be chairman of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee and vice chairman of both the Gaming and Casino Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee.

Majority Leader

Bishop was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007-2010.

At the State Republican Party Convention in 2010, Bishop unsuccessfully bid for the Republican nomination for state attorney general. He ran for Oakland County prosecutor in 2012, but lost to Democratic incumbent Jessica R. Cooper.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2014

On November 4, 2014, Bishop defeated Democratic challenger Eric Schertzing for Michigan's 8th congressional district.

Bishop was sworn in on January 6, 2015. Shortly after being sworn in, he voted for John Boehner as Speaker.

2016

Bishop successfully ran for re-election in 2016. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Two Democrats, actress Melissa Gilbert and Linda Keefe, filed to run in the Democratic primary election. Gilbert later withdrew. Gilbert was replaced with Democratic challenger Suzanna Shkreli late in the race in July, 2016.

2018

Bishop ran for re-election but lost to Democratic challenger Elissa Slotkin.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationSubcommittee on Workforce Protections
• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations
  • Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Human Resources

Caucus memberships

• Republican Study Committee
• House Baltic Caucus
• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus

Political positions

Abortion

Bishop has voted to ban abortions after 20 weeks and has co-sponsored legislation which states that life starts at conception.

Affordable Care Act

Bishop disapproves of the ACA and voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2016.

Animal testing

Bishop has called on the USDA to stop the killing of kittens after being tested on for research.

Gun policy

Bishop supports gun rights and the Second Amendment, receiving a A/A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.

Gordie Howe International Bridge

When Bishop was Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate, a bill to create the Gordie Howe International Bridge as a companion to the Ambassador Bridge came to him for determination to put it to the Senate floor for a vote. Corporate interests were strongly in favor of the bill, which would partner with Canada to pay for the bridge. Bishop opposed the bridge and did not bring the legislation to a floor vote, saying there were "too many outstanding legal issues and the legislation is too important to push a lame-duck vote." Bishop had received campaign donations from Manuel Moroun, owner of the rival Ambassador Bridge. Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, found another way to make the deal and the project continued without Bishop's support.

Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives he vowed to vote to block the Gordie Howe International bridge. The Livingston Daily reported "A proposal for the federal government to fund a U.S. customs center has stalled. If elected, Bishop said he wouldn't support federal funding of the customs center."

Personal life

Bishop, a resident of Rochester, Michigan, is married and has three children. He is a Congregationalist.

References

References

1. [http://legislature.mi.gov/(S(xkgik3j0k3pt4255nehxgjiy))/documents/2009-2010/michiganmanual/2009-MM-p0145-p0145.pdf 2009–2010 Michigan Manual: State Senator Michael D. Bishop profile], legislature.mi.gov; accessed January 16, 2017.
2. (November 8, 2016). "Mike Bishop re-elected in Michigan's 8th Congressional District". MLive.
3. (September 24, 2006). "Michael Bishop, 39". Crain's Detroit Business.
4. "About". Congressman Mike Bishop.
5. Demas, S. [http://domemagazine.com/blogs/bishop Bishop was Born to Run]; domemagazine.com, March 16, 2009; retrieved March 21, 2017.
6. During his four-year tenure in the Michigan House, he served as vice chairman of the Commerce Committee.[http://www.lwvoa.org/files/Voter2008_01.pdf Oakland Voter]; League of Women Voters Oakland Area, January 2008; retrieved March 24, 2017.
7. [http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/152471/mike-bishop Mike Bishop's Biography on Votesmart]; votesmart.com; retrieved March 25, 2017.
8. Wieder, B [https://time.com/3759288/manoj-bhargava-campaign-finance/?iid=sr-link3 The Political Kingmaker Nobody Knows]; time.com, March 26, 2015; retrieved March 21, 2017.
9. [http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Oakland/43747/114561/en/summary.html Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds] November 6, 2012; retrieved March 21, 2017.
10. Gonzales, N. [http://www.rollcall.com/news/home/freshman-class-filled-with-losers Freshman Class Filled with Losers]; rollcall.com, November 24, 2014; retrieved March 21, 2017.
11. [http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/11/04/michigan-congress-eighth-district-election-results/18491127 Bishop defeats Schertzing for 8th District congressional race], detroitnews.com; accessed November 30, 2014.
12. (7 January 2015). "Speaker John Boehner is reelected: How Michigan's delegation voted". [[MLive.com]].
13. (April 18, 2016). "Gilbert, Bishop spar over finances". Livingston Daily.
14. Ooosting, J. and Laing, K. [http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/11/08/michigan-congress-district-shkreli-bishop-results/93498344/ District 8: Rep. Bishop wins re-election over Shkreli], detroitnews.com, November 8, 2016; retrieved March 21, 2017.
15. "Member List".
16. "Members". House Baltic Caucus.
17. "Members". Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus.
18. Bycoffe, Aaron. (2017-01-30). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight.
19. Weigel, David. (September 2023). "Abortion rights group launches $5 million campaign to flip the House". Washington Post.
20. "Bishop in a heated race to stay in Congress". Detroit News.
21. "Bishop presses USDA on kittens killed after research". Detroit News.
22. Summers, Juana. "Congressman wants answers from USDA on cats allegedly killed during government research". CNN.
23. "NRA-PVF {{!}} Grades {{!}} Michigan". NRA-PVF.
24. Crumm, Charles. "Gun Rights vs Gun Control: Will mass killings elevate the debate during this year's congressional elections?". TheOaklandPress.com.
25. Oosting, J. [http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/11/dric_watch_critics_accuse_mike.html DRIC watch: Critics accuse Mike Bishop of stalling Michigan Senate vote on Detroit-Windsor bridge after receiving donations from Manuel Moroun], mlive.com, November 10, 2010, retrieved March 21, 2017.
26. Behnan, C. [http://www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/politics/elections/michigan/2014/10/19/bridge-funding-obamacare-separate-schertzing-bishop-th-congressional-race/17592777 "Bridge funding, Obamacare separate Schertzing, Bishop in 8th Congressional race], livingstondaily.com, October 19, 2014; retrieved August 31, 2016.
27. [http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/bridge-brigade/Content?oid=2150514 Bridge brigade DRIC supporters pressure Bishop for the vote he promised], metrotimes.com, November 24, 2010; retrieved August 31, 2016.
28. Fritz Klug. (January 2, 2015). "Mike Bishop ready to take Michigan legislative experience to Washington DC". Mlive.com.
29. (January 5, 2015). "Members of Congress: Religious Affiliations". Pew Research Center.