. It is sometimes referred to as
is the Chairman of the Party, having been elected January 29, 2011 at the state convention. Schostak served as the finance chairman during the tenure of chairman Ron Weiser, raising over $30 million for the Party's campaign efforts in 2010. Sharon Wise, is Co-Chairman of the Party
. Its
The Republican Party was born in the early 1850s by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first informal meeting of the party took place in
, a small town northwest of Milwaukee, WI. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6, 1854 in
serving as chairman. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of
's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in Michigan.
under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Even though they were considered a "third party" because the
represented the two-party system at the time, Fremont received 33% of the vote. Four years later,
. (For continued history
27 out of 48 elections. The first was Kingsley Bingham in 1855 and the most recent is the current governor Rick Snyder.
Gerald R. Ford was the only Republican U.S. President and also the only Republican U.S. Vice President from Michigan. He was also the longest living President in U.S. History who died at the age of 93, only surpassing
by 45 days. He is the only President born in Nebraska, as well as the only President to be buried in Michigan, aling with his wife,
was the first Republican from Michigan to become president pro tempore of the Senate (1875–79).
was the second (1947–49) as well as the longest serving Republican U.S. Senator from Michigan at 23 years. None have been a
(Class 1). Two years later, he served alongside fellow Republican Kinsley Bingham (Class 2). The GOP would continue being elected to serve alongside each other until 1923. The last time two Republicans were simultaneous U.S. Senators from Michigan was from 1953-55 with Homer Ferguson and
. The last Republican to serve as a U.S. Senator from Michigan was
Gerald R. Ford is the only Republican
In 1855, William A. Howard
. Republicans were seated in all Michigan congressional districts during these years: 1857-59, 1860–63, 1865–71, 1873–75, 1879–83, 1895–97, 1899–1903, 1905–11, 1921–23, and 1925-33.
served 32 years in the U.S. House, the longest as a Republican from Michigan.
was the first woman to represent Michigan in Congress and the first woman to serve in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.
. Zachariah Chandler and Arthur E. Summerfield are the only Michiganders to become Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
| Name |
Residence |
Years Served |
| Joseph Warren |
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1854–1855 |
| James M. Edmunds James M. Edmunds was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Edmunds was born in Niagara County, New York, received a common school and academic education and taught school from 1826 to 1831....
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1855–1861 |
| E.C. Walker Edward Carey Walker was a politician from the U. S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Walker was born to Stephen and Lydia Walker in Butternuts, New York, and was educated at Hamilton College studying as an engineer. He suffered an injury when thrown from a carriage, which prevented him from...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1861–1862 |
| William Alanson Howard William Alanson Howard served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1859 and from May 15, 1860 to March 3, 1861. Howard was the Governor of the Dakota Territory from 1878 to 1880.-Biography:William Howard was born at Hinesburg,...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1862–1868 |
GovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state... John J. BagleyJohn Judson Bagley was a politician from the US state of Michigan, as well as its 16th Governor.-Early life in New York and Michigan:...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1868–1870 |
| Stephen D. Bingham |
Lansing Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
|
1870–1878 |
| George H. Hopkins George H. Hopkins was a politician from the U. S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Hopkins was born to Erastus and Climene Hopkins in White Lake, Michigan and was educated at Pontiac Union School from 1860–62 and taught a district school in Oakland County...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1878 |
Zachariah ChandlerZachariah Chandler was Mayor of Detroit , a four-term U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan , and Secretary of the Interior under U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant .-Family:...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1878–1879 |
James McMillanJames McMillan was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.-Biography:McMillan was born in Hamilton, Ontario to William and Grace McMillan, both Scottish natives...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1879–1880 |
GovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state... Henry P. BaldwinHenry Porter Baldwin , a descendant of pilgrim father Nathaniel Baldwin, was the 15th Governor of Michigan and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.-Early life in Rhode Island:...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1880–1882 |
| Edward S. Lacey Edward Samuel Lacey was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and Comptroller of the Currency from 1889 to 1892.-Biography:...
|
CharlotteCharlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
|
1882–1884 |
| Philip T. Van Zile Philip Taylor Van Zile was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Van Zile was born in Osceola Township, Pennsylvania. He prepared for college at Union Academy near Knoxville, Pennsylvania, then entered the classical course of the Alfred University and graduated in 1863....
|
CharlotteCharlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
|
1884–1886 |
James McMillanJames McMillan was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.-Biography:McMillan was born in Hamilton, Ontario to William and Grace McMillan, both Scottish natives...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1886–1888 |
| George H. Hopkins George H. Hopkins was a politician from the U. S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Hopkins was born to Erastus and Climene Hopkins in White Lake, Michigan and was educated at Pontiac Union School from 1860–62 and taught a district school in Oakland County...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1888–1890 |
James McMillanJames McMillan was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.-Biography:McMillan was born in Hamilton, Ontario to William and Grace McMillan, both Scottish natives...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1890–1896 |
| Dexter M. Ferry Dexter Mason Ferry, Jr. was an American politician from Michigan.-Early life:...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1896–1898 |
| Arthur M. Marsh Arthur F. Marsh was an American politician from the state of Michigan. Marsh was from Allegan and was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1898-1900.-References:*...
|
AlleganAllegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....
|
1898–1900 |
| Gerrit J. Diekema Gerrit John Diekema was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Diekema was born in Holland, Michigan where he attended the common schools and graduated from Hope College in 1881...
|
HollandHolland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
|
1900–1910 |
| W.F. Knox |
Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
|
1910–1912 |
GovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state... Alex GroesbeckAlexander Joseph Groesbeck was an American politician who served as Attorney General and the 30th Governor of the State of Michigan.-Early life:...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1912–1914 |
| Gilman M. Dame Gilman M. Dame was an American politician from the State of Michigan. Resided in Northport, Leelanau County, Michigan. Dame was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party 1914-1916.- References :* Michigan Republican Party on Wikipedia...
|
Northport Northport is a village in Leelanau Township, Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 648 at the 2000 census. When Leelanau County was formed in 1863, Northport served as the first county seat from 1863 to 1883.-Geography:...
|
1914–1916 |
| John D. Magnum John D. Magnum was a Michigan politician and chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1916 to 1919.He and his family resided in Marquette, Michigan. He was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party 1916-19.- References :...
|
MarquetteMarquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
|
1916–1919 |
| Burt D. Cady Burt Duward Cady was an American politician from the state of Michigan.- Biography :Cady was born in Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan, July 25, 1874 where he would reside and become a lawyer. He was a member of Michigan State Senate 11th District, 1907-1908. He was a delegate to Republican...
|
Port HuronPort Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
|
1919–1925 |
| Kennedy L. Potter Kennedy L. Potter was an American politician from the state of Michigan.Potter resided in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan. He was an alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan in 1924. He was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1925-1927.- References :*...
|
JacksonJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
|
1925–1927 |
| Gerrit J. Diekema Gerrit John Diekema was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Diekema was born in Holland, Michigan where he attended the common schools and graduated from Hope College in 1881...
|
HollandHolland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
|
1927–1929 |
| Howard C. Lawrence Howard C. Lawrence was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.- Biography :Lawrence was born in Sebewa Township, Michigan in Ionia County, the son of Cyrus S. Lawrence and Margaret Lawrence. He resided in Ionia, Saginaw and Grand Rapids...
|
IoniaIonia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair... and SaginawSaginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
|
1929–1937 |
| James F. Thomson James Francis Thomson was an American politician from the state of Michigan.Thomson was born in Jackson County, Michigan, November 19, 1891. He was the son of James C. Thomson and Mary Thomson. He resided in Jackson became a farmer and married Florence Elvira Sanford...
|
JacksonJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
|
1937–1940 |
| Leslie B. Butler Leslie B. Butler was an American politician from the State of Michigan.Butler of Lansing, Michigan was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1940-42.- References :* Michigan Republican Party on Wikipedia...
|
Lansing Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
|
1940–1942 |
| John R. Dethmers John R. Dethmers was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Dethmers was born in Plessis in O'Brien County, Iowa. He resided in Orange City, Iowa, Holland, Michigan, and East Lansing, Michigan. He enrolled at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, then went on to the University of Michigan Law...
|
HollandHolland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
|
1942–1945 |
| John A. Wagner John A. Wagner was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Wagner resided in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan. He was Chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1945–1949 and a delegate to the 1948 Republican National Convention.- References :...
|
Battle CreekBattle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
|
1945–1949 |
| Owen Cleary Owen Jenks Cleary was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Cleary was born in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan to Patrick Roger Cleary and Helen Cleary, and was married to Marie DeWaele. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I...
|
YpsilantiYpsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
|
1949–1953 |
| John Feikens John Feikens was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was the Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan . Feikens had the unusual honor of being nominated to the same district court by three presidents.Feikens was born in Clifton, New Jersey. He...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
|
1953–1957 |
| Lawrence Lindemer Lawrence "Larry" Boyd Lindemer was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Lindemer was born in Syracuse, New York. He attended Hamilton College in New York for two years, then transferred to the University of Michigan and graduated with an A.B. degree in 1943...
|
Stockbridge Stockbridge is a village in Stockbridge Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and lies from downtown Lansing, Michigan. The population was 1,218 at the 2010 census.-History:...
|
1957–1961 |
| George Van Peursem George Van Peursem was an American politician from the State of Michigan.Van Peursem was born in 1912 and was a resident of Zeeland, Michigan. He was a member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Ottawa County from 1951 until he resigned in 1959. He was Speaker of the Michigan State...
|
ZeelandZeeland is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,805 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township which is politically independent. Its name is derived from the Dutch province of Zeeland...
|
1961–1963 |
| Arthur G. Elliott, Jr. Arthur G. Elliott, Jr. was an American politician from the state of Michigan.Elliott had resided in Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge and Birmingham; all located in Oakland County. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Michigan in 1960 and 1964. He was a delegate to the Michigan...
|
BirminghamBirmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
|
1963–1965 |
| Elly M. Peterson Elly M. Peterson , also known as Mrs. W. Merritt Peterson, was an American politician from Charlotte, Eaton County, Michigan. She was married to the late Colonel W. M. Peterson and was an overseas Red Cross volunteer in World War II...
|
CharlotteCharlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
|
1965–1969 |
| William F. McLaughlin |
NorthvilleNorthville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. The Oakland County portion is surrounded by the city of Novi. The Wayne County portion is surrounded by Northville...
|
1969–1979 |
| Melvin L. Larson - Biography :Larsen was born in 1936 and resided in Oxford Oakland County, Michigan. He was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives 61st District, 1973–1978 and a candidate for Michigan Secretary of State in 1978. He was elected Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from...
|
Oxford Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township. The village occupies one square mile and is both politically and geographically a part of the township. The village calls itself...
|
1979–1983 |
E. Spencer AbrahamEdmund Spencer Abraham is a former United States Senator from Michigan. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush. Abraham is one of the founders of the Federalist Society....
|
East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
|
1983–1991 |
| David J. Doyle David J. Doyle is an American politician from the State of Michigan.Doyle, of Okemos, Michigan, is the Executive Vice President and chief political consultant at Marketing Resource Group of Lansing, Michigan...
|
Okemos Okemos is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township...
|
1991–1995 |
| Susy Heintz (Avery) Susy Avery is an American politician from the state of Michigan. She was Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1995 to 1996 and the Party's 1996 nominee to represent Michigan's 10th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:A native of Kalamazoo,...
|
Clinton Township Clinton Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Clinton Charter Township, Michigan in Macomb County*Clinton Township, Lenawee County, Michigan*Clinton Township, Oscoda County, Michigan...
|
1995–1996 |
Elisabeth "Betsy" DeVosElisabeth "Betsy" DeVos is an American politician and school choice activist from the state of Michigan. She is a former chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party.-Family background and education:...
|
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
|
1996–2000 |
| Gerald "Rusty" Hills Gerald J. Hills, II is an American politician and educator in the state of Michigan and is currently the communications director for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette....
|
East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
|
2000–2003 |
Elisabeth "Betsy" DeVosElisabeth "Betsy" DeVos is an American politician and school choice activist from the state of Michigan. She is a former chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party.-Family background and education:...
|
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
|
2003–2005 |
| Saulius "Saul" Anuzis Saulius "Saul" Anuzis is a Republican Party leader from the U.S. State of Michigan, he is currently serving as national chairman for the Save American Jobs Project on the American Solutions team...
|
Lansing Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
|
2005–2009 |
| Ron Weiser Ron Weiser was the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, elected to that office in February 2009. He previously served as Ambassador to Slovakia under President George W. Bush from late 2001 through the end of 2004....
|
Ann ArborAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
|
2009–2011 |
| Robert "Bobby" Schostak Robert Schostak is chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party, replacing Ron Weiser.-References:...
|
Oakland County-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...
|
2011–present |