John D. Cherry Jr. (born May 5, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 62nd

lieutenant governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

from 2003 to 2011. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Cherry also served as a

gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

appointee to the

Midwestern Higher Education Compact The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) is a regional interstate compact devoted to advancing cooperation and resource sharing in higher education. The member states of the Compact are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Mi ...

, and was the immediate past chair of the international Great Lakes Commission (of which he is still a member). Cherry was an announced candidate for

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. However, on January 5, he announced his withdrawal from the race, citing an inability to "secure enough money to make my candidacy fully viable."

Early life and education

Cherry grew up in

Montrose, Michigan Montrose is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,657 at the 2010 census. Once part of the surrounding Montrose Township, the city itself incorporated in 1980, and both are now administered autonomously. ...

and graduated from Hill-McCloy High School 1969. Cherry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1973 and a

Master of Public Administration The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...

from the

University of Michigan–Flint The University of Michigan–Flint (UM-Flint, UMF) is a public university in Flint, Michigan. It is one of the two regional universities operating under the policies of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, the other being the University ...

in 1984. He is of Polish and Scots-Irish descent.

Career

A former staff member to Michigan State Senator Gary Corbin, Cherry served as the state political director for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, until 1982. He was then elected to the

Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ...

as a

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

(1983–1986),

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

(1987–2002) and Senate Minority Leader. Cherry was elected in 2002 as the

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...

Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-American lawyer, educator, author, political commentator, and politician serving as the 16th United States secretary of energy since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she pre ...

, passing on his state senate seat to his sister Deborah Cherry. As the lieutenant governor, John Cherry presided over the State Senate, casting votes there in the event of a tie. As lieutenant governor, John Cherry was elected chairman of the

National Lieutenant Governors Association The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) is the non-profit, nonpartisan professional association for elected or appointed officials who are first in line of succession to the governors in the 50 U.S. states and the five organized terr ...

(NLGA) in July 2006. John Cherry also chaired the Lt. Governor’s Commission on Higher Education & Economic Growth, with the commission making recommendations on

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

and the need to expand Michigan's job base. The Cherry Commission report led to the ''Michigan Promise'' scholarship, the ''No Worker Left Behind'' program, and Michigan replacing the high school MEAP exam with the ACT. Michigan also increased standards in the K-12 curriculum and graduation requirements consistent with the Commission's recommendations. Cherry has been awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from

Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a public university in University Center, Michigan in Saginaw County. It was founded in 1963 as Saginaw Valley College. It is located on in Saginaw County's Kochville Township, approximately north of ...

and an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

. He has earned several awards including being recognized as "one of Michigan’s Most Effective Legislators" by ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

'' and the 2005 Conservationist of the Year by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs.Cherry serves as the Chairman of the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit's Board of Trustees 2016 to present. Cherry serves as the Vice-President of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations 2016 to present, and as President of the Clan MacLachlan Association of North America 2014 to present.

Personal life

Cherry is married to former State Representative

Pam Faris Pam Faris (born February 15, 1957) is a former American politician from Michigan. Faris is a former Democratic member of Michigan House of Representatives for District 48 and a former Second Lady of Michigan. Early life On February 15, 1957, ...

. They have two adult children, Meghan and John Daniel, and 4 grandchildren.

References

External links

John Cherry official campaign website: A Democrat for Governor

Profile and posts on Michigan Liberal, a political blog

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry, John D. 1951 births Lieutenant Governors of Michigan Living people Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Democratic Party Michigan state senators University of Michigan–Flint alumni University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni American politicians of Polish descent People from Sulphur Springs, Texas 2000 United States presidential electors People from Clio, Michigan People from Genesee County, Michigan American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees people 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians