Michael J. Bouchard is an American politician who has served as
Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of
Oakland County, Michigan
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...
since 1999. A member of the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
, Bouchard previously served in the
Michigan State Senate from 1991 to 1999, and as the Senate Majority Leader from 1998 to 1999. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, losing to incumbent
Debbie Stabenow.
Bouchard is of French and
Syrian
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...
Lebanese descent. In 2016, he was named Sheriff of the Year by the
National Sheriffs' Association.
Career
Bouchard was born in
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
. After graduating from
Brother Rice High School in 1974, Bouchard attended Michigan State University majoring in criminal justice and police administration. Upon graduation Bouchard entered local law enforcement where he remained for thirteen years.
Bouchard was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1991. He resigned as senator and majority floor leader in the Michigan State Senate when he was appointed Oakland County Sheriff in January 1999 following the untimely death of long time Sheriff John F. Nichols in December 1998.
Bouchard has served two terms as President of the Major County Sheriffs' Association, which is composed of sheriffs who serve in counties or parishes with a population of 500,000 or more. Bouchard is currently the organization's Vice President of Government Affairs.
In 2007, Bouchard endorsed former
Governor
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. Romney went on to win the primary vote in Oakland County.
Bouchard ran for a
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
seat in 2006. He won the
Republican nomination with 60 percent of the vote, but then lost to
Debbie Stabenow, the incumbent
Democratic senator.
In November 2012, Bouchard was elected to his fourth consecutive term as Oakland County Sheriff by an overwhelming majority, the largest number of votes cast for any candidate in Oakland County.
In 2019 he was named a Michigan Master Sheriff, in recognition of his 33 years of service.
2010 gubernatorial race
Bouchard joined business person
Rick Snyder
Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Snyder previ ...
, state Senator
Tom George
Thomas George (born December 2, 1956) is an American physician and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. As a Republican member of the Michigan State Senate, he represented Kalamazoo County as well as an eastern portion of Van Buren Count ...
, Congressman
Peter Hoekstra and Michigan Attorney General
Mike Cox as Republican candidates. Bouchard finished fourth out of five candidates in the primary, receiving 127,350 votes of the 1,044,925 votes cast.
Electoral history
2006 United States Senate election in Michigan
The 2006 United States Senate election in Michigan was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow won re-election to a second term.
General election Candidates
* Mike Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff (Republican)
...
*Mike Bouchard (R), 41%
*
Debbie Stabenow (D) (inc.), 57%
2006 election for U.S. Senate - Republican Primary
*Mike Bouchard (R), 60%
*
Keith Butler (R), 40%
Oakland County Sheriff's Office
* Re-elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2020
* Re-elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2016
* Re-elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2012
* Re-elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2008
* Re-elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2004
* Elected Oakland County Sheriff, 2000
* Appointed Sheriff of Oakland County, January 11, 1999
Michigan State Senate
* Elected Majority Floor Leader of the Michigan State Senate, 1998
* Re-elected to the State Senate, 1998
* Elected Assistant Majority Leader of the Michigan State Senate, 1995
* Re-elected to the State Senate, 1994
* Elected Assistant President Pro-Tempore of the Michigan State Senate, 1994
* Elected to the State Senate, 1991
Michigan House of Representatives
* Elected to the State House of Representatives, 1990
City Council
* Elected President Pro-Tempore of the Beverly Hills Council, 1987
* Elected to the Beverly Hills Village Council, 1986
References
External links
Sheriff Bouchard's Web siteMichigan Fallen Heroes Memorial Website
*
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, -
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouchard, Mike
1956 births
20th-century American politicians
American politicians of Lebanese descent
Brother Rice High School (Michigan) alumni
Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
Candidates in the 2010 United States elections
Living people
Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Michigan sheriffs
Republican Party Michigan state senators
Michigan State University alumni
People from Oakland County, Michigan
Politicians from Flint, Michigan