Jennifer Granholm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Granholm
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 16th United States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office February 25, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | David Turk |
| Preceded by | Dan Brouillette |
| Succeeded by | Ingrid Kolb (acting) |
| 47th Governor of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011 |
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| Lieutenant | John D. Cherry |
| Preceded by | John Engler |
| Succeeded by | Rick Snyder |
| 51st Attorney General of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1999 – January 1, 2003 |
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| Governor | John Engler |
| Preceded by | Frank J. Kelley |
| Succeeded by | Mike Cox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 5, 1959 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Daniel Mulhern
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Signature | .svg) |
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-born American politician. She served as the 16th United States Secretary of Energy from 2021 to 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming Secretary of Energy, she was the Attorney General of Michigan from 1999 to 2003. She then served as the 47th Governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2011. Jennifer Granholm was the first woman to hold both of these important offices in Michigan.
She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her family moved to California when she was four years old. She studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Later, she earned a law degree from Harvard Law School.
After her time as governor, Granholm worked at UC Berkeley. She also wrote a book with her husband. In 2017, she became a political expert for CNN.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jennifer Granholm was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her parents, Shirley and Victor Granholm, were bank tellers. Her family moved to California when she was four. She grew up in cities like Anaheim and San Jose.
As a young adult, she tried acting in Hollywood. She also worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios. She was the first female boat tour guide at Marine World/Africa USA.
In 1980, when she was 21, she became a U.S. citizen. She then went to the University of California, Berkeley. She was the first person in her family to go to college. She graduated in 1984 with degrees in political science and French.
During a year in France, she helped deliver clothes and medical supplies to Jewish people in the Soviet Union. She also joined the Anti-Apartheid Movement. She then earned a law degree from Harvard University in 1987. At Harvard Law School, she was the editor of a leading law journal.
Early Career in Law
After law school, Granholm worked for Judge Damon Keith from 1987 to 1988. She also helped with Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign. From 1989 to 1991, she worked as an attorney in Wayne County.
In 1991, she became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. In this role, she helped put gang members on trial. She also fought against credit card fraud. She won 151 out of 154 cases she tried.
In 1995, she became the Corporation Counsel for Wayne County. She was the youngest person to hold this job. She defended the county in lawsuits and worked to protect environmental laws.
Michigan Attorney General (1999–2003)
Jennifer Granholm became the first female Attorney General of Michigan on January 1, 1999. She served one term, until 2003. As Attorney General, she worked to protect citizens and consumers. She also created Michigan's first High Tech Crime Unit.
In 1999, she sued a company that built the Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course. She said the company caused pollution in Lake Michigan. The lawsuit was settled in 2003. The company agreed to pay a fine.
In 2000, her office reached an agreement with J.C. Penney. The store had made many pricing errors in Michigan. J.C. Penney paid a fine and agreed to fix their pricing system.
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Granholm worked to prevent price increases on gasoline. She also helped the AARP fight against unwanted calls from telemarketers.
Governor of Michigan (2003–2011)
Becoming Governor in 2002
In 2002, the current governor, John Engler, could not run again. Jennifer Granholm ran for governor. She won the Democratic primary election. She was seen as a "fresh face" by many voters.
Granholm was very popular in the general election. She had strong support from women, African-Americans, and young voters. She won the election, becoming Michigan's first female governor.
First Term: 2003–2007
Jennifer Granholm became the 47th governor of Michigan on January 1, 2003. She was the first woman to hold this position. She was also one of the few governors not born in the United States.
She focused on attracting young people and businesses to Michigan. She was part of the National Governors Association. She also chaired the Midwestern Governors Association.
During her first year, she made budget cuts to fix a $1.7 billion deficit. She also worked on education reform. She started "Project Great Start" to help young children learn.
Granholm encouraged more people to go to college. This was important because many manufacturing jobs in Michigan no longer needed a college degree. She helped create new high school graduation standards.
In 2004, she was added to the "Michigan Women's Hall of Fame". She also received awards from the Jaycees and the YWCA.
Michigan's economy faced challenges due to fewer manufacturing jobs. Granholm worked to bring new types of jobs to the state. She supported a $2 billion fund to attract jobs in areas like life sciences and alternative energy.
Second Term: 2007–2011
Granholm ran for a second term in 2006. She won the election against Republican businessman Dick DeVos. Her campaign focused on her efforts to improve Michigan's economy.
In 2007, there was a budget crisis in Michigan. This led to a short shutdown of state services. The budget included cuts to services and increases in state taxes. This caused her approval ratings to drop.
Granholm started the "No Worker Left Behind Act" in 2007. This program offered two years of free training or community college for unemployed workers. Over 130,000 people enrolled in this program. Many found new jobs after retraining.
In 2008, Granholm focused on creating jobs in alternative energy. She helped pass a law that required Michigan to get more energy from renewable sources. This led to new solar and wind power jobs in the state.
She also supported tax breaks for filmmakers who shot movies in Michigan. This helped bring more film projects and jobs to the state.
Granholm was part of Barack Obama's economic advisory team. She was considered for a position in his administration. In 2010, she could not run for re-election due to term limits. Her time as governor ended on January 1, 2011.
After Being Governor
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After leaving office, Granholm became a professor at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. She also worked on clean energy policy. She wrote a book with her husband about Michigan's economic challenges.
She joined the boards of several companies. These included Dow Chemical Company, Marinette Marine Corporation (a shipbuilder), and ChargePoint (electric vehicle charging stations).
In 2011, she hosted a political show called The War Room with Jennifer Granholm on Current TV. She left the network in 2013.
In 2012, she gave a memorable speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. She talked about how President Obama helped the auto industry in Michigan.
Granholm was considered for various roles in the U.S. government. These included Secretary of Energy and even a judge on the United States Supreme Court. However, she did not take these positions at the time.
Secretary of Energy (2021–2025)
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In 2020, President-elect Joe Biden chose Jennifer Granholm to be the next Secretary of Energy. She received support from many groups, including unions and environmental organizations.
She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 25, 2021. She was sworn into office later that day by Vice President Kamala Harris. She is the first Secretary of Energy born outside the United States.
In April 2021, she spoke about President Biden's goal for the U.S. to reach net zero carbon dioxide by 2050. This means finding ways to make energy production cleaner. In 2022, the Department of Energy announced a $3.5 billion program. This program will create large centers to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
Granholm has discussed energy cooperation with other countries. She also talked about rising fuel prices in the U.S.
In December 2022, Granholm cleared J. Robert Oppenheimer of a past security clearance issue. Oppenheimer was a physicist known as the "father of the atomic bomb."
Personal Life
Jennifer Granholm met Daniel Mulhern while they were both studying law at Harvard. They got married in 1986. They have three children.
In 2010, the King of Sweden honored Granholm. She was made a Commander of the Order of the Polar Star. This was for her work in building ties between Michigan and Sweden.
Granholm is Catholic. She converted to Catholicism while at Harvard Law School.
Images for kids
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Jennifer Granholm's signature
