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Margaret O'Brien
| Margaret O'Brien | ||
 | ||
| Michigan House of Representatives District 61 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 1, 2011-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 1, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 2 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $71,685/year | |
| Per diem | $10,800 yearly expense allowance | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Term limits | 3 terms | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | James Madison College at Michigan State University, 1996 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | November 20, 1973 | |
| Place of birth | Kalamazoo, MI | |
| Profession | Real Estate Agent | |
| Religion | Protestant | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
O'Brien is a volunteer for Catholic Family Services and has served as such since her graduation from college. She is also a real estate agent for REMAX Advantage Realty.
O'Brien graduated from Michigan State University.
Issues
Campaign themes
O'Brien's website highlights the following campaign themes:[1]
Jobs
- Excerpt:"We need to turn Michigan's economy around by creating a better business climate. I will work to reduce burdensome taxes and regulations that send our jobs out of our state."
Tax Reform
- Excerpt:"We need to find a better way to fund essential government services. We need to overhaul our tax structure, not merely change it by moving numbers around as we did with the Michigan Business Tax."
Fiscal Responsibility
- Excerpt:"I will be a good steward of your tax dollars. As a small business owner, I understand how to budget and how to make painful cuts during difficult times. I understand the negative consequences we experience when our taxes increase. I will make the tough decisions"
Education
- Excerpt:"I will advocate for children getting a solid education in the public, private and home school systems. I will fight to maintain parental control for their children's education."
Energy
- Excerpt:"We must continue to provide opportunities for all sources of energy to compete."
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, O'Brien served on the following committees:
| Michigan Committee Assignments, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Insurance | ||||
| • Oversight | ||||
| • Tax Policy, Vice-chair | ||||
| • Transportation and Infrastructure | ||||
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, O'Brien served on these committees:
| Michigan Committee Assignments, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Education | ||||
| • Families and Children's Services | ||||
| • Insurance | ||||
| • Tax Policy | ||||
Issues
Presidential preference
2012
Margaret O'Brien endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [2]
Elections
2012
O'Brien won election in the 2012 election for Michigan House of Representatives District 61. He was unopposed in the August 7 Republican primary and defeated Michael Martin (D) in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[3]
| Michigan House of Representatives, District 61, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Michael Martin Incumbent |
58.2% | 27,726 | |
| Democratic | Margaret O'Brien | 41.8% | 19,876 | |
| Total Votes | 47,602 | |||
2010
O'Brien won election to the District 61 Seat in 2010. She had no primary opposition. She defeated Thomas Batten (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010.
| Michigan House of Representatives, District 61 General election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Margaret O'Brien (R)'
|
21,919 | |||
| Thomas Batten (D) | 13,671 | |||
Campaign donors
2012
Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.
2010
In 2010, O'Brien raised $44,855 in contributions. [4]
Her two largest contributors were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Obrien, Margaret | $8,000 |
| Michigan Association Of Realtors | $2,500 |
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Margaret + O'Brien + Michigan + Legislature
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Margaret O'Brien News Feed
- Viewpoint: Republicans claim support for women, but actions seek to roll back ... - MLive.com
- Despite Repeal Attempts, Michigan State Law Mandates Unlicensed Dogs Be ... - Michigan Capitol Confidential
- Thin out the laws - Grand Haven Tribune
- Bill allowing dogs in restaurants hits snag - Detroit Free Press
- Dogs on restaurant patios make some MLive readers lose appetite - Mlive Kalamazoo
- Stretch of I-94 to be named for slain Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata - Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com
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Scorecards
Tea Party Scorecard
The Independent Tea Party Patriots, a Michigan Tea Party group, grades the votes of this and every other Michigan legislator on “core tea party issues” in a regularly-updated scorecard. 100% is considered an ideal rating.[5]
January 2011 - March 2012
Margaret O'Brien received a 71% rating on the January 2011 - March 2012 Tea Party Scorecard.[5]
Personal
O'Brien and her husband Nick have two children.
External links
- House website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2010
References
- ↑ "margaretobrien," Official Campaign Website
- ↑ Mitt Romney Campaign Website "Mitt Romney Announces Support of Michigan Speaker of The House Jase Bolger and Additional Members of The Michigan Legislature," September 19, 2011
- ↑ Associated Press "Michigan - Summary Vote Results," Accessed August 7, 2012
- ↑ 2010 contributions
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Michigan Votes, "Tea Party Scorecard Jan 2011-Mar 2012," accessed June 25, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Larry DeShazor (R) |
Michigan House of Representatives District 61 2011–present |
Succeeded by NA |
 |
State of Michigan Lansing (capital) |
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- 2012 endorsement of Mitt Romney for President
- State legislative article missing donor information
- Current member, Michigan House of Representatives
- Republican Party
- 2010 challenger
- House of Representatives candidate, 2010
- 2010 winner
- 2010 candidate
- Michigan
- 2010 open seat
- 2012 incumbent
- House of Representatives candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (winner)
- 2012 general election (winner)
