Michael J. Bouchard is an American politician who has served as Sheriff of Oakland County, Michigan since 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Bouchard previously served in the

Michigan State Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, adopt ...

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, losing to incumbent

Debbie Stabenow Deborah Ann Stabenow ( ; née Greer, born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female ...

. Bouchard is of French and Syrian Lebanese descent. In 2016, he was named Sheriff of the Year by the

National Sheriffs' Association The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) is a U.S. trade association. Its stated purpose is to raise the level of professionalism among U.S. sheriffs, their deputies and others in the fields of criminal justice and public safety. Since its found ...

Career

Bouchard was born in Flint, Michigan. 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

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

Governor Mitt Romney 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 pow ...

seat in 2006. He won the

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 ...

nomination with 60 percent of the vote, but then lost to

, 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 previo ...

, state Senator Tom George, Congressman

Peter Hoekstra Cornelis Piet "Pete" Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from January 10, 2018, to January 17, 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously serv ...

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 *Mike Bouchard (R), 41% *

(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
* , - , - , - {{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