Mary Valentine

Mary Valentine
Michigan House of Representatives District 91
Former member
Term in office began 2007
Term in office ended 2011
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Sunday School Teacher

Mary Valentine was a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 91 from 2005 to 2011.

Rep. Valentine was born in Flint and grew up in Bay City. She received a Bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in speech therapy and a Master's degree from Northern Michigan University in education. She spent over thirty years working as a Speech Pathologist in the Muskegon area Public Schools until retiring in 2006 to run for the State House. Valentine lives in Norton Shores with her husband Phil, to whom she has been married for 28 years. She has two children Robin and Shawn Valentine. She is involved with her church and has taught Sunday School for the past 16 years.

Political campaign history

Valentine officially started her campaign for the Michigan House of Representatives in June 2006. She was unopposed in the Democratic Party primary election. In the general election, she faced incumbent Representative David Farhat. Farhat was a two-term incumbent who had faced tough elections in the past. The 91st district is a mostly urban district and is one of the most competitive in the State. Valentine won the election by a margin of 56-44 to gain her first elective office. In the house, she is the vice-chair of the Education Committee. She also serves on the Commerce, Great Lakes and Environment, Health Policy, and Retiree Health Care Reforms Committees.

Valentine was a candidate for the open 34th State Senate seat, which was vacated by Republican Gerald VanWoerkom.

Voting record

Key votes of 2009-2010

• Click below to see how this representative voted.
• Super Speedway, Lawmakers voting on whether TO EXTEND A SPECIAL TAX PERK for a super speedway.
• Driver Responsibility Fees, Lawmakers voting on whether TO IMPOSE 'driver responsibility fees.'
• Crony Capitalism, Lawmakers voting on whether TO RESTRICT THE RIGHT of shareholders to sell their own stock.
• Right to Work, Lawmakers voting on an amendment SUPPORTING RIGHT-TO-WORK zones.
• Dept. of State Cost-Saving, Lawmakers voting on whether TO SLOW DOWN PROGRESS ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S COST-SAVING CONSOLIDATION PLAN.
• Golf Carts, Lawmakers voting on whether TO SUBSIDIZE the production of electric vehicle batteries.
• Home Court Disadvantage, Lawmakers voting on whether TO GIVE MORE TAXING POWER to local government in Kalamazoo so it can finance a taxpayer-subsidized sports arena.
• Fire Safe Cigarettes, Lawmakers voting on whether TO BAN the sale of cigarettes that are not "fire safe."
• Balancing Act, Lawmakers voting on a budget to CUT REVENUE SHARING PAYMENTS to local governments as a way to balance the state budget without raising taxes.
• Balancing Act 2, Lawmakers voting on a cut of less than 3 percent to K-12 school aid payments so as to balance the state budget without tax increases.
• A Good Tax Gone Bad?, Lawmakers voting on the Michigan Business Tax.
• It’s From the Children, Lawmakers voting on whether to RAID $90 MILLION from the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority.
• Left Behind, Lawmakers voting on whether TO FINANCE "No Worker Left Behind" with a 59.9 percent increase in general fund spending in the 2009 DELEG budget.
• First Class Schools, Lawmakers voting on whether to keep Detroit Public Schools' "first class" status even though the district no longer meets the population standard.
• Politically Correct Capitalism, Lawmakers voting on whether to INCREASE SUBSIDIES for plug-in traction battery packs used in electric cars.
• Politically Correct Capitalism 2, Lawmakers voting on whether to GIVE SUBSIDIES for Michigan film production.
• Politically Correct Capitalism 3, Lawmakers voting on whether to INCREASE ELECTRIC CAR SUBSIDIES for a subsidiary of a Korean battery company.
• Secret Ballot, Lawmakers voting on whether to keep a SECRET BALLOT for union elections.
• Property Taxes Assaulted Again, Lawmakers voting on whether to allow public schools to EXPAND THE USE OF SINKING FUND property tax spending.
• Sneak Attack, Lawmakers voting on whether to allow public schools to EXPAND THE USE OF SINKING FUND property tax spending.
• Grapes of Wrath, Lawmakers voting on whether TO BAN home shipment of beer and wine to Michigan consumers.
• Subsidize Manufacture of Electric Cars, Lawmakers voting on whether to authorize a refundable Michigan Business Tax credit for makers of plug-in traction battery packs used in electric cars.
• Authorize Special Tax Breaks for Ethanol Gas Stations, Lawmakers voting on whether to authorize a non-refundable Michigan Business Tax credit equal to 30 percent of the costs incurred by a gas station to convert existing pumps and tanks, or acquire new ones that deliver E85 ethanol or biodiesel fuel.

More voting record details

• List of all of Mary Valentine’s roll call votes, bills introduced, and floor amendments from MichiganVotes.org (use site’s “advanced search” to narrow by date range, issue category and/or keyword).
• List of Mary Valentine’s 32 missed roll-call votes

Committee Assignments, 2009-2010

• Agriculture
• Education
• Families and Children's Services
• Health Policy

Elections

2010

Valentine did not run for re-election in 2010.

2008

On November 04, 2008, Mary Valentine ran for District 91 of the Michigan House of Representatives, beating Holly Hughes.

Mary Valentine raised $227,480 for her campaign.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 91
Candidates		Votes
Mary Valentine (D)		24,445
Holly Hughes (R)		21,035

Campaign donors

2008

In 2008 Mary Valentine collected $227,480 in donations.

Her five largest contributors in 2008 were:

Donor	Amount
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers	$5,000
Michigan Trial Lawyers Association	$5,000
Dillon Leadership Fund	$5,000
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan	$5,000
Progressive Womens Alliance	$5,000

Campaign contributions

Contributions Report from Michigan Secretary of State

Contact

Rep. Mary Valentine
N1195 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
(517) 373-3436
maryvalentine@house.mi.gov

External links

Suggest a link

• Mary Valentine's campaign website
• Michigan Legislature - Representative Mary Valentine official government website
• Project Vote Smart legislative profile
• Project Vote Smart biography
• Michigan Votes - Mary Valentine
• Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006
• Mary Valentine on Facebook
• Mary Valentine on Twitter
• Mary Valentine on LinkedIn

References

Political offices
Preceded by -	Michigan House of Representatives District 91 2007–present	Succeeded by Holly Hughes