Tupac Amaru Hunter (born July 25, 1973) is an American politician who is a former member of the

Michigan 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, ado ...

, representing the

5th district District 5, 5 District or 5th District may refer to: Europe * District 5 (Zürich) * District 5, Düsseldorf * V District, Turku * Districts of Malta#District 5, District 5, an electoral district of Malta * Districts of Malta#District 5 2, Distric ...

which encompasses northwest

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Dearborn Heights Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 63,292 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census., Dearborn Heights is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is consid ...

and Inkster. He served as the Minority Floor Leader.

Background

Tupac A. Hunter was born and raised in Detroit. He graduated from the

University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy was founded in 1877, and is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan, the other being Loyola High School. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, the sc ...

in 1991. In 1995, he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies and Public Policy from

Morehouse College , mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made") , type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college , academic_affiliations ...

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. He also holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from

Oakland University Oakland University is a public research university in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1957 through a donation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, it was initially known as Michigan State University-Oakland, operating under the Mi ...

Political career

In November 2010, Tupac A. Hunter was re-elected to a second term in the Michigan Senate representing the citizens of the 5th District, which comprises northwest Detroit, Dearborn Heights, and Inkster.Michigan 2010 legislative election results
/ref> He was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve as the Minority Floor Leader for the 2011-14 legislative session. He previously served as the Assistant Minority Leader during his first term in the Michigan Senate (2007–2010). Prior to being elected to the Michigan Senate, he served in the Michigan House of Representatives (2003–2006) where he was the Minority Whip (2005–2006).

Issues

Senator Hunter's legislative interests covered banking and financial services, consumer protection, criminal justice, economic development, education, ethics in government, and health care insurance reform. His legislative agenda has produced 27 Public Acts and one

constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...

Michiganders vote yes on felon law, no on ConCon
/ref> to date. He sponsored legislation to encourage financial literacy and fair lending practices; fought for the passage of Michigan's law mandating smoke-free workplaces; and advocated for policies relating to children's health, including legislation that would require insurance companies to cover treatments for children with

autism spectrum disorder The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder, neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) ...

s.Michigan Legislature legislation search, 2009-2010
/ref>

Honors and recognition

*The Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 Honoree (2013) *Michigan Association of State and Federal Program Specialists Roberta Stanley Legislative Award (2010) *Autism Insurance for Michigan Coalition Legislative Champion Award (2010) *American Heart Association Heart Champion Award (2010) *Hearing Loss Association of Michigan Legislator of the Year Award (2009) *Michigan Deaf Association Legislator of the Year Award (2009) *Michigan Children’s Trust Fund Seasoned Advocate Award (2008) *Michigan Credit Union League Legislator of the Year Award (2007) *Who’s Who in Black Detroit Honoree (2006–2010)

Electoral history

References

External links

Senator Tupac A. Hunter
- official government website
Project Vote Smart - Senator Tupac A. Hunter (MI)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Tupac A. Hunter
200620042002Michigan Senate Democratic CaucusMichigan Liberal - SD05
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Tupac A. 1973 births African-American state legislators in Michigan Autism activists Living people Members of the Michigan House of Representatives Michigan state senators Oakland University alumni University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy alumni 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people 21st-century American politicians