Alma Wheeler Smith facts for kids

Alma Wheeler Smith, born on August 6, 1941, is a well-known politician from the state of Michigan. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010. During this time, she represented the 54th District. This district includes the cities of Ypsilanti, Augusta Township, Salem Township, Superior Township, and Ypsilanti Township in Washtenaw County. Before that, she was a State Senator for two terms, from 1995 to 2002. In 2010, she also ran to become the Governor of Michigan.

Alma Wheeler Smith's Early Career

Before becoming a state politician, Alma Wheeler Smith held several important local jobs. She worked as a cable commissioner, helping to oversee cable television services. She was also a trustee on a school board, which means she helped make decisions for local schools. She even served as the president of the school board. Later, she became a county commissioner, working on issues for Washtenaw County.

After these roles, she was elected as a State Senator. She represented the 18th District, which includes Ann Arbor. She served in the State Senate for eight years. Her time there ended because of "term limits." Term limits are rules that say how many times a person can be elected to the same office.

Serving as a State Representative

From January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2010, Alma Wheeler Smith was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. In this role, she helped create new laws. She introduced many bills on different topics. These bills were ideas for new laws that she thought would help the people of Michigan. She was also part of the important House Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the state's money is spent. Her time in the House also ended due to term limits.

Running for Governor

In 2010, Alma Wheeler Smith decided to run for Governor of Michigan. A governor is the leader of a state, similar to a president for a country. She wanted to be the Democratic Party's choice for governor.

Her campaign focused on several key areas. She wanted to make sure everyone had access to healthcare. She also believed in equal education for all, from preschool to college. Protecting the environment was another important goal for her. She also aimed to support businesses and protect people's rights.

However, she later decided not to continue her campaign. She announced this decision just before the deadline to submit signatures. She explained that she did not want to "split the progressive vote." This means she didn't want to divide the votes among candidates who shared similar ideas. She believed it was important for Democrats to unite behind one candidate.

Alma Wheeler Smith's Family

Alma Wheeler Smith comes from a family with a strong history in politics in Ann Arbor. Her father, Albert H. Wheeler, was the mayor of Ann Arbor from 1975 to 1978. He was the first African American person to hold that position.

Her sister, Nancy Francis, has been a judge in Washtenaw County since 1990. Alma's son, Conan, also served as a Washtenaw County commissioner. He was later elected to lead the Ann Arbor City Democratic Party. Conan's former wife, Rebekah Warren, also served in the Michigan Senate. She held the same 18th District seat that Alma Wheeler Smith had held earlier.

See Also

• Michigan gubernatorial election, 2010