Mike Sullivan (Wyoming politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Sullivan
United States Ambassador to Ireland
In office October 22, 1998 – June 20, 2001
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Jean Kennedy Smith
Succeeded by	Richard J. Egan
29th Governor of Wyoming
In office January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995
Preceded by	Edgar Herschler
Succeeded by	Jim Geringer
Personal details
Born	Michael John Sullivan (1939-09-22) September 22, 1939 (age 85) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Republican (2022)
Spouse	Jane Metzler
Children	3
Relatives	Joseph Sullivan (grandfather)
Education	University of Wyoming (BS, JD)
Signature

Michael John Sullivan (born September 22, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 29th Governor of Wyoming from 1987 to 1995. Later, he became the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1998 to 2001. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming governor, he was active in local government in Natrona County, Wyoming.

Sullivan was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Douglas, Wyoming. His family was involved in Wyoming politics. He studied at the University of Wyoming. After becoming a lawyer, he joined local politics. He served on the Natrona County Memorial Hospital board. Sullivan won the governor's elections in 1986 and 1990. He won even though his opponents spent more money.

As governor, Mike Sullivan achieved several important things. He saw the first time a governor's veto was overturned in Wyoming. He also helped pass a holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.. He led the Western Governors Association. After his time as governor, he ran for the United States Senate in 1994 but did not win. President Bill Clinton then appointed him as the ambassador to Ireland. Sullivan was the first governor to support Clinton during his 1992 presidential campaign. He also helped lead Clinton's campaign in Wyoming.

Growing Up in Wyoming

Mike Sullivan in 1957

Michael John Sullivan was born on September 22, 1939. His parents were Margaret Elizabeth and Joseph Sullivan Jr. His father was a county attorney and president of the Wyoming State Bar. Mike's brother, Dan Sullivan, served in the Wyoming Senate. His uncle, John Sullivan, and grandfather, Joseph Sullivan, were also politicians. They served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Sullivan grew up in Douglas, Wyoming, and was a member of the Catholic Church.

He graduated from Converse County High School in 1957. He was class president and the second-highest ranked student. In 1961, he earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Wyoming. He later earned a law degree in 1964. While in college, he was part of the student government. In 1961, he married Jane Metzler. They had three children together. From 1968 to 1986, he worked as a lawyer.

Public Service Journey

Starting in Local Government

In 1974, people thought Sullivan might become Wyoming's Attorney General. This was when Governor-elect Edgar Herschler was choosing his team. During the 1970s, Sullivan was the president of the Natrona County Bar Association.

In 1976, local leaders in Natrona County appointed Sullivan to two boards. These were the Building Appeal Board of Casper, Wyoming and the Natrona County Memorial Hospital board. He filled a spot left open by someone who passed away. He was later given another term on the hospital board. While on the hospital board, he served as its treasurer and president. He resigned from the hospital board in 1986 after he was elected governor.

Serving as Governor of Wyoming

First Election as Governor

Mike Sullivan's gubernatorial campaign logo

On January 16, 1986, Sullivan announced he was thinking about running for governor. He wanted to get the Democratic nomination. On March 20, he officially announced his campaign. This was at a press conference at his home in Casper.

Teno Roncalio, a former U.S. Representative, supported Sullivan. He became an honorary chairman for Sullivan's campaign. Charles Brown, a news director, was chosen as Sullivan's campaign manager. In June, Sullivan officially filed to run. He won the Democratic primary election. He defeated Pat McGuire, Keith Goodenough, and Al Hamburg. He spent about $102,219 on his campaign.

In September, Bryan Sharratt became Sullivan's new campaign manager. Charles Brown became the media coordinator. In the main election, Sullivan defeated Republican Pete Simpson. He spent about $192,917. Sullivan was the first person from Casper to win Wyoming's governor election since 1906.

Winning Re-election

In December 1989, a group called "Citizens for Sullivan" was formed. This allowed people to donate money to Sullivan. He waited to announce his re-election campaign until after the state budget was passed. He said announcing earlier would make the budget political. He announced his re-election campaign on May 1, 1990. He won the Democratic primary against Ron Clingman. He raised $142,559 and spent $115,966. Richard Lindsey was his campaign manager.

Republicans thought their loss in 1986 was because too many candidates ran in their primary. The Wyoming Republican Party tried to reduce the number of candidates in 1989. Mary Mead won the Republican nomination. All other candidates except one dropped out and supported her. Sullivan debated Mead five times. He defeated Mead by a large amount. His victory margin was the biggest for any governor in Wyoming's history at that time. Mead spent $702,105, while Sullivan spent $310,030.

Key Actions as Governor

In 1991, Sullivan vetoed a law that would give tax breaks for oil drilling. However, the Wyoming Legislature overturned his veto. This was the first time in Wyoming's history that a governor's veto was overturned. He criticized Republican leaders in 1988. They did not give important committee roles to two representatives. This was because those representatives did not support overturning one of Sullivan's earlier vetoes. After the 1992 elections, Republicans gained enough seats to overturn vetoes easily. Sullivan vetoed laws that changed how empty political offices were filled. But Republicans successfully overturned his veto in 1993.

Sullivan made his first judicial appointment in 1987. He appointed Nicholas Kalokathis to a district court. He appointed three judges to the Wyoming Supreme Court. These were Michael Golden in 1988, William A. Taylor in 1992, and Larry Lehman in 1994. He also appointed Joseph Meyer as Attorney General in 1987. In 1993, he asked President Bill Clinton to appoint someone from Wyoming to a federal appeals court.

Sullivan became the chairman of the Economic Development and Stabilization Board in 1987. He led a group of eighteen people to Australia and Taiwan in 1987. Their goal was to increase business and tourism with Wyoming. In 1989, he opened a trade office in Taipei World Trade Center. He was elected to the National Governors Association Executive Committee in 1988. He also became the chairman of the Western Governors Association in 1991.

Sullivan (far left) with Bill Clinton at the 1993 National Governors Association Dinner

Sullivan stayed neutral during the 1988 Democratic presidential primary. He later supported Michael Dukakis in May 1988. He was the first governor to support Bill Clinton during the 1992 Democratic presidential primary. He helped lead Clinton's campaign in Wyoming with Secretary of State Kathy Karpan. He also attended the Democratic National Conventions in 1988 and 1992. He supported Dick Cheney's appointment as United States Secretary of Defense.

When mobile phone service came to Wyoming, Sullivan made some of the first calls. He called the Mayor of Casper, Judi Laird. He also received a call from former President Gerald Ford.

Running for U.S. Senate

On April 11, 1994, Sullivan announced he would run for the U.S. Senate. He wanted to take the place of Senator Malcolm Wallop. He officially filed to run on June 1. During the election, his opponent, Craig L. Thomas, claimed President Clinton promised $1 million to help Sullivan's campaign. Both Sullivan and the White House said this was not true.

Sullivan returned a $1,350 donation from a U.S. Representative. This happened after Thomas's campaign shared news about the representative's misuse of campaign money. Sullivan had no opponents in the Democratic primary. However, he was defeated by Craig L. Thomas in the general election.

Representing the U.S. in Ireland

During the 1992 presidential election, Sullivan and Kathy Karpan wrote a letter. They asked Wyoming voters to support Clinton. They also criticized President George H. W. Bush's campaign tactics. Sullivan supported Clinton's re-election in 1996. He co-chaired Clinton's Wyoming committee. The Clinton administration considered him for ambassador roles.

In June 1998, The Washington Post reported that Sullivan was likely to become the Ambassador to Ireland. Sullivan confirmed that White House officials had contacted him. On August 28, President Clinton officially nominated him. He was the tenth person from Wyoming to get a high-level diplomatic job. The United States Senate approved his nomination on October 21. He was sworn in on December 8. On January 21, 1999, Sullivan presented his official papers to the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. He served as ambassador until June 20, 2001.

Life After Public Office

Some people thought President George W. Bush might appoint Sullivan as Secretary of the Interior. But Bush chose Gale Norton instead. In 2002, Sullivan became chairman of the University of Wyoming's Institute for Environment and Natural Resources board of directors. In 2007, the University of Wyoming honored him as a distinguished alumnus.

During the 2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election, Sullivan supported the Democratic candidate, Dave Freudenthal. In the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, he supported Hillary Clinton. He was part of her Wyoming campaign committee. In 2022, he changed his party registration to Republican. This was so he could vote for Liz Cheney in the Republican primary election.

Mike Sullivan's Views

Views on Economy and Growth

In 1986, Sullivan suggested that the Reagan administration should consider an oil import tax. He believed stable oil prices would help states that produce energy. In 1987, he said there wasn't much hope for Reagan to implement such a tax. He opposed the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement. He thought it would hurt Wyoming's energy industry. However, most governors supported the agreement. He supported the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In 1986, Sullivan asked the Interstate Commerce Commission to stop a railroad company from closing a line to Riverton, Wyoming. He said it would be bad for Fremont County and Wyoming. Sullivan also wanted the Superconducting Super Collider to be built in Wyoming. He asked for Amtrak to bring back passenger train service through Wyoming. This service had stopped in 1983. Sullivan opposed using the western United States for storing nuclear waste.

In 1992, the Cato Institute gave Sullivan a high grade for his handling of Wyoming's energy industry growth.

Thoughts on World Affairs

On March 8, 1986, Sullivan gave a speech. He criticized the Reagan administration for its actions regarding the 1986 Philippine presidential election. He also criticized their support for military aid in the Nicaraguan Revolution. In October, he said he would accept removing missiles from Wyoming. This would be part of an arms agreement with the Soviet Union. He believed world peace was more important than short-term economic effects. He supported Operation Desert Storm.

Ideas on Government Structure

In 1992, Sullivan supported creating single-member districts for elections. But the state legislature passed a different plan. This plan reduced the state house members and created mixed districts. Sullivan vetoed this law on February 17, 1992. The legislature failed to overturn his veto by one vote. Sullivan then signed a new redistricting plan on February 21. This plan created single-member districts for all state senate and house members.

He vetoed several laws that changed how vacant political offices were filled. These laws would have required the governor to choose from a list of three people. However, Republicans successfully overturned his veto in 1993. During the 1996 election, Sullivan and other governors opposed ballot proposals. These proposals would have set term limits for state legislators.

In January 1987, Sullivan suggested reorganizing the Department of Health and Social Service. But the proposed law did not pass.

Social Issues and Policies

On September 16, 1986, Sullivan stated he would not require drug testing for all state employees. On October 7, he said experts should decide if children with AIDS could attend school. He opposed laws that would stop children with AIDS from going to school. In 1987, he vetoed a law that would have removed health tests needed for marriage licenses. Sullivan and other politicians questioned the effects of asbestos. Sullivan also noted the high cost of removing asbestos from schools.

Sullivan supports capital punishment. However, he said he would not stop the state legislature if they tried to end executions. In 1992, he did not grant clemency to a convicted person. This person was executed on January 22, 1992. This was the first execution in Wyoming since 1965.

In 1977, the Natrona County Memorial Hospital board voted to ban tobacco sales in the hospital. Sullivan voted for this ban. He supported raising the drinking age in Wyoming from nineteen to twenty-one. He signed the law making Wyoming the last state to raise its drinking age to twenty-one. He opposed the legalization of gambling.

He supported creating a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr.. He opposed attempts to name the holiday Wyoming's Day of Equal Rights. He said it was "a profound embarrassment" when the law failed to pass. In 1989, he signed an order declaring Martin Luther King Jr. Equality Day for January 15, 1990. In 1990, he signed a law making Wyoming the 47th state to recognize a holiday for King.

Taxation

Sullivan criticized the Gramm–Rudman–Hollings Balanced Budget Act. He felt it cut programs without considering their importance. His campaign manager stated Sullivan would not support increasing taxes. In 1987, the Wyoming Senate and House voted to decrease the coal tax. This would reduce state revenue by up to $15 million. Sullivan opposed this law and wrote a letter to lawmakers. He suggested increasing taxes on alcohol and cigarettes in 1987.

In 1992, a Democratic leader criticized Sullivan. He said Sullivan lacked the leadership to stop budget cuts and encourage tax increases. On March 15, 1994, Sullivan signed the 1995–1996 budget. But he used his line-item veto on thirteen parts of the law. However, the state House and Senate voted to overturn his vetoes.

Sullivan and Wyoming's congressional team wrote an article in The Washington Post. They criticized a report that said Wyoming had one of the worst tax structures.

Electoral History