Robert L. Emerson (born March 23, 1948) is a Democratic

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. He was 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 ...

having served as the Democratic minority leader. He represented the 27th district in Genesee County, which encompasses the city of

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

Biography

Emerson was born in Alpena on March 23, 1948. He graduated from St. Paul Catholic Seminary and attended

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

and the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. After moving to Flint in 1969, Emerson was employed by

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

. He was elected to the

Michigan State House of Representatives Michigan ( ) is a peninsular state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, Indiana and Illinois to the southwest, Ohio ...

in 1980. After serving eighteen consecutive years in the State House, he served two four-year terms in the State Senate. During this time he took on roles such as the Senate minority leader and Democratic floor leader. Additionally, he served as co-chairman of the School Aid Appropriations Subcommittee and chairman of the Public Health Appropriations Subcommittee. Emerson has been actively involved in issues regarding education, health, and labor legislation over the course of his career. In January 2007, Emerson was appointed by Governor

Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is an American politician who was the 16th United States secretary of energy from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she previously served as the 47t ...

as her next budget director. On September 30, 2011,

Michigan Governor The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-elect ...

Rick Snyder Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. Snyder, who was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, ...

appointed an eight-member state review team for the City of Flint including Emerson. Senator Emerson is married to Judy Samelson (CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation) and is the father of four children.

References

* Boyd, Liz
"Governor Granholm to Name Bob Emerson Budget Director"
"State of Michigan-Office of the Governor" December 28, 2006. Accessed June 20, 2007. 1948 births Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Wayne State University alumni University of Michigan alumni Democratic Party Michigan state senators Living people People from Alpena, Michigan 21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature 20th-century members of the Michigan Legislature {{Michigan-MISenate-stub