Jennifer M. Granholm was re-elected the 47th governor of Michigan in November 2006. Since taking office in 2003, she has successfully resolved more than $4 billion in budget deficits, trimming more from state government than any governor in Michigan's history. A fiscal hawk, Granholm has worked to ensure that state government spends every penny efficiently, while aggressively pursuing her top priority of putting Michigan families first.

Governor Granholm has put in motion the most comprehensive economic agenda, which includes creating thousands of jobs for Michigan workers by accelerating infrastructure projects, training unemployed workers for high-demand jobs, and diversifying Michigan's economy through an unprecedented $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund. By going anywhere and doing anything to attract new businesses to Michigan, Granholm has convinced more than 90 companies, including Google, to choose Michigan for relocation or expansion; and her two investment missions to Japan have brought back millions of dollars in new investment and more than a thousand new jobs.

Granholm's focus on families has meant expanded health care coverage for 300,000 uninsured Michiganians. She saved the state nearly $40 million in 2003 by introducing the nation's first bulk-buying pool for prescription drugs; in 2004, she extended those savings to citizens by introducing the MiRx Card which provides discount prescription drugs to thousands of uninsured families. Her Michigan First Health Care Plan will be the first in the state's history to extend universal access to affordable health care to every family in Michigan.

Despite tough fiscal times, Granholm has increased spending for Michigan's public schools to record levels. The first in her family to attend college, Granholm has championed universal access to higher education. In December 2006, Granholm signed legislation creating the Michigan Promise scholarship, the first-in-the-nation program that will award $4,000 to every Michigan student who successfully completes two years of post-secondary education.

Michigan was cited by Governing magazine (February 2005) as an outstanding leader in its report titled, "Grading the States 2005." The nationwide report card gives Michigan and the Granholm administration high marks in the areas of money, people, infrastructure, and information management. Only Virginia and Utah scored higher than Michigan.

Granholm began her career in public service as a clerk for U.S. Judge Damon Keith on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1990, Granholm became a federal prosecutor in Detroit, where she maintained a 98 percent conviction rate. In 1994, Granholm was appointed Wayne County corporation counsel. She worked to reduce taxpayer-funded lawsuit payouts by 87 percent. Elected Michigan's first female attorney general in 1998, Granholm continued her fight to protect Michigan's citizens and consumers. She established the state's first high-tech crime unit to prosecute Internet crimes.

Following the September 11 attacks, Granholm led a multi-agency effort to ensure that Michigan laws could effectively be used to fight terrorism at the state level. In the wake of the attacks, as well as following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she also took swift action to protect consumers from price gouging at the pump by unscrupulous gas station owners. As attorney general, Granholm also started a successful statewide mentoring initiative.

Jennifer Granholm was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an honors graduate of both the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She serves as vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association and is chair of the Health and Human Services Committee of the National Governors Association. She and her husband, Daniel G. Mulhern, have three children.