Gretchen Demarest Driskell (born October 1, 1958) is an American politician,

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...

, and

real estate agent A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

from the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, she served in the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

, representing the 52nd district. Before her time in the Michigan legislature, she was the first female mayor of

Saline, Michigan Saline ( ') is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,948 at the 2020 census. The city borders Saline Township to the southwest, and the two are administered autonomously. History Before the 18th centur ...

, a position she held for 14 years.

Michigan House of Representatives

Elections

Driskell challenged

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

incumbent Mark Ouimet for the 52nd

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

district (northern and western

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

an Washtenaw County areas outside

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

) in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

. She defeated Ouimet, receiving 26,646 votes (52.9%) to his 23,609 (46.8%). In

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, Driskell defeated Republican nominee John Hochstetler, receiving 20,849 votes (56.2%) to his 16,265 (43.8%).

U.S. House of Representatives elections

2016

In February 2015 Driskell announced that she would challenge Republican incumbent

Tim Walberg Timothy Lee Walberg (born April 12, 1951) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the from 2007 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2023. Early life, educa ...

for

Michigan's 7th congressional district Michigan's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and portions of Central Michigan. From 2004 to 2013 it consisted of all of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, and incl ...

. In a March 2015 Inside Michigan Politics/Revsix/Change Media poll, Driskell led Walberg 42%-37% with 21% undecided. In a September 2015 Harper Polling poll, Walberg led Driskell 49%-32% with 20% undecided. Driskell was endorsed by former Republican governor

William Milliken William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he is the longest-serving governor in Michigan history, serv ...

, who also endorsed

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

. In the general election, Driskell lost to Walberg, who received 55% of the vote to Driskell's 40%.

2018

In December 2017, Driskell announced she would run against Walberg again. She faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from Steve Friday, a progressive grassroots activist from Dexter. Driskell won the nomination easily. She lost to Walberg again, 54% to 46%.

References

External links

Gretchen Driskell for Congress
campaign website
Official House Democrats website
(archived) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Driskell, Gretchen 1958 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American accountants Women accountants American real estate brokers Businesspeople from Michigan George Washington University alumni Living people University of Lynchburg alumni Mayors of places in Michigan Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives People from Saline, Michigan Women in finance Women mayors of places in Michigan Women state legislators in Michigan Candidates in the 2018 United States elections