Sander M. Levin
Encyclopedia
Sander Martin Levin, generally known as Sandy Levin, (born September 6, 1931) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1983, and the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
The district (numbered as the 17th until 1993) includes many of Detroit's northern and northeastern suburbs, such as Mount Clemens, Southfield, Clinton Township
, Warren
, Fraser
, Sterling Heights, Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores. He is the older brother of U.S. Senator
Carl Levin
.
in Detroit, received a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago
in 1952, a Master's degree
in international relations from Columbia University
in 1954, and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School
in 1957.
After developing a private law practice, Levin served in the Michigan Senate
from 1965 to 1970, and was Senate Minority Leader 1969–1970. He made unsuccessful campaigns for Governor of Michigan
in 1970 and 1974, losing to Republican
William Milliken
. He was a Fellow of the Kennedy School of Politics at Harvard University
in 1975. From 1977 through 1981 he was assistant administrator of the Agency for International Development.
with 49% of the vote, which at that time included northwestern Detroit as well as parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. He won the general election with 67% of the vote. He has won re-election with at least 56% of the vote since then, except 1992 and 1994. After the 1990 United States Census, he was drawn into Michigan's 12th congressional district
and lost his share of Detroit. In 1992, he narrowly defeated businessman and Vietnam War
veteran John Pappageorge
53%-46%. In 1994, he defeated him again in rematch, in the mist of the Republican Revolution
, 52%-47%. In 1996, he defeated him in a third rematch 57%-41%. In 1998, he won re-election against Republican nominee Leslie A. Touma, 56%-42%. In 2000, businessman Bart Baron gained the endorsement of the United Auto Workers
, but Levin managed to win re-election with 64% of the vote. The 2000s redistricting added heavily Democratic Southfield
and Mount Clemens
to the district, and he has won re-election in every election with at least 68% of the vote since.
2012
After redistricting, Levin was drawn into the same district as fellow U.S. Congressman Gary Peters
(D-MI). However, Peters has decided to run in the newly redrawn Michigan's 14th congressional district
. In 2008, Obama won the 9th district with 59% of the vote, while he won statewide with 57%. The district picks up Berkley
, Royal Oak
, Madison Heights
, Southfield Township
, Clawson
, and Bloomfield Township
.
Levin took over as chairman of the Ways and Means committee on March 4, 2010 when Charles B. Rangel
of New York stepped aside in due to a number of ethics violations. He served as chairman until January, 2011, and currently serves as the committee's ranking member.
Levin comes from a family that has long been prominent in Michigan politics. His younger brother Carl Levin
is currently the state's senior Senator. His uncle, Theodore
, was a federal judge. His first cousin, Charles
was a Michigan Supreme Court
justice, after serving as a Michigan Court of Appeals
judge. His first cousin, Joseph Levin, was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. His son, Andy
, was the 2006 Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate
in the 13th Senate District, losing in a tight race to John Pappageorge.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1983, and the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The district (numbered as the 17th until 1993) includes many of Detroit's northern and northeastern suburbs, such as Mount Clemens, Southfield, Clinton Township
Clinton Charter Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Clinton, usually referred to as Clinton Township, is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a part of Metro Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 96,796, and is Michigan's most populous township...
, Warren
Warren, Michigan
Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....
, Fraser
Fraser, Michigan
Fraser is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,297 at the 2000 census. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.The Village of Fraser was incorporated by an act of the state legislature in 1894...
, Sterling Heights, Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores. He is the older brother of U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
.
Early life, education, and early political career
Levin was born in Detroit to Bess Levinson and Saul R. Levin. He graduated from Central High SchoolCentral High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Central High School is the oldest secondary school in Detroit, Michigan; it is staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools.-History:In 1858, Detroit's first high school opened on Miami Avenue. By 1863, due to increased enrollment, the school was moved to a building that had formerly housed...
in Detroit, received a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1952, a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in international relations from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1954, and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1957.
After developing a private law practice, Levin served in the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
from 1965 to 1970, and was Senate Minority Leader 1969–1970. He made unsuccessful campaigns for Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
in 1970 and 1974, losing to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
William Milliken
William Milliken
William Grawn Milliken , is an American politician and served as the 44th Governor of Michigan from January 1969 to January 1983.-Biography:...
. He was a Fellow of the Kennedy School of Politics at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1975. From 1977 through 1981 he was assistant administrator of the Agency for International Development.
Elections
In 1982, incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman William Brodhead decided to run for re-election, instead making an unsuccessful run for governor. Levin won the Democratic primary in Michigan's 17th congressional districtMichigan's 17th congressional district
Michigan's 17th congressional district is an obsolete United States congressional district in Michigan. The first Representative to Congress elected from the 17th district, George Anthony Dondero, took office in 1933, after reapportionment due to the 1930 census. The district was dissolved...
with 49% of the vote, which at that time included northwestern Detroit as well as parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. He won the general election with 67% of the vote. He has won re-election with at least 56% of the vote since then, except 1992 and 1994. After the 1990 United States Census, he was drawn into Michigan's 12th congressional district
Michigan's 12th congressional district
Michigan's 12th congressional district is a United States Congressional District located in Detroit's inner suburbs to the north, along the Interstate 696 corridor in Macomb and Oakland counties, as well as a portion of Macomb north of the corridor....
and lost his share of Detroit. In 1992, he narrowly defeated businessman and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran John Pappageorge
John Pappageorge
John George Pappageorge is a member of the Michigan State Senate.-Biography:John Pappageorge was born to a Greek family on the east side of Detroit, Michigan....
53%-46%. In 1994, he defeated him again in rematch, in the mist of the Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
, 52%-47%. In 1996, he defeated him in a third rematch 57%-41%. In 1998, he won re-election against Republican nominee Leslie A. Touma, 56%-42%. In 2000, businessman Bart Baron gained the endorsement of the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
, but Levin managed to win re-election with 64% of the vote. The 2000s redistricting added heavily Democratic Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
and Mount Clemens
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...
to the district, and he has won re-election in every election with at least 68% of the vote since.
2012
After redistricting, Levin was drawn into the same district as fellow U.S. Congressman Gary Peters
Gary Peters (Michigan politician)
Gary Peters is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Oakland County, a suburban county northwest of Detroit. He previously represented the 14th District in the Michigan Senate, and was a political science professor at...
(D-MI). However, Peters has decided to run in the newly redrawn Michigan's 14th congressional district
Michigan's 14th congressional district
Michigan's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in Wayne County, Michigan, encompassing the northwest side of Detroit, the suburbs located immediately west of the city, the Downriver suburbs adjacent to the Detroit River and the enclaves of Highland Park and Hamtramck. It has...
. In 2008, Obama won the 9th district with 59% of the vote, while he won statewide with 57%. The district picks up Berkley
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an inner suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.-Downtown, Dream Cruise, etc.:...
, Royal Oak
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
, Madison Heights
Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.- History :...
, Southfield Township
Southfield Township, Michigan
Southfield Township is a civil township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,547 at the 2010 census.The cities of Lathrup Village and Southfield are autonomous municipalities and are no longer part of the township. The township shares some responsibilities with the...
, Clawson
Clawson, Michigan
Clawson is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, its population was 11,825.-Geography:...
, and Bloomfield Township
Bloomfield Township, Michigan
Bloomfield Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Bloomfield Township, Huron County, Michigan*Bloomfield Township, Missaukee County, Michigan*Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
(Ranking Member)- Subcommittee on TradeUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on TradeThe House Way and Means Subcommittee on Trade is one of the six subcommittees within the House Ways and Means Committee-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Income SecurityUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family SupportThe Subcommittee on Human Resources is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives. From 2007 to 2011, it was known as the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support...
- Subcommittee on Trade
Levin took over as chairman of the Ways and Means committee on March 4, 2010 when Charles B. Rangel
Charles B. Rangel
Charles Bernard "Charlie" Rangel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1971. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the third-longest currently serving member of the House of Representatives. As its most senior member, he is also the Dean of New York's congressional delegation...
of New York stepped aside in due to a number of ethics violations. He served as chairman until January, 2011, and currently serves as the committee's ranking member.
Personal life
His wife of 50 years, Vicki, died on September 4, 2008. They had four children, Jennifer, Andrew, Madeleine and Matthew, and nine grandchildren, Nathan, Samuel, Jacob, Saul, Seth, Benjamin, Leah, Molly and Elijah.Levin comes from a family that has long been prominent in Michigan politics. His younger brother Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
is currently the state's senior Senator. His uncle, Theodore
Theodore Levin
Theodore Levin was a was a prominent immigration lawyer and United States federal judge who served on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1946 until his death in 1970....
, was a federal judge. His first cousin, Charles
Charles Levin
Charles Leonard Levin was a Michigan jurist. He served as a Michigan Court of Appeals judge from 1966 to 1972 and as a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1973 to 1996. He attended the University of Michigan where he received his B.A. in 1946 and his LL.B...
was a Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
justice, after serving as a Michigan Court of Appeals
Michigan Court of Appeals
The Michigan Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court of the state of Michigan. It was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, and commenced operations in 1965...
judge. His first cousin, Joseph Levin, was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. His son, Andy
Andy Levin
Andrew S. "Andy" Levin is the founder and managing partner of Levin Energy Partners, LLC, a firm he established in 2011 to provide innovative financing tools to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in American buildings...
, was the 2006 Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
in the 13th Senate District, losing in a tight race to John Pappageorge.
External links
- U.S. Congressman Sandy Levin official U.S. House site
- Sander Levin for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...