Deborah Ann Stabenow (born April 29, 1950) is an American politician who worked as a U.S. senator from Michigan from 2001 to 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party and was the first woman from Michigan to serve as a U.S. senator.
Before becoming a senator, Stabenow was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where she represented Michigan's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2001. Earlier in her career, she worked on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and served in the Michigan State Legislature.
Stabenow was elected again to the Senate in 2006, 2012, and 2018. She became Michigan's senior U.S. senator when Carl Levin retired in 2015. From 2011 to 2015 and again since 2021, she led the Senate Agriculture Committee. In 2017, she became chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. At the start of the 118th Congress, she became the leader of the Michigan congressional delegation after Representative Fred Upton retired. On January 5, 2023, Stabenow announced she would not run for reelection in 2024.
Early life and education
Stabenow was born in Gladwin, Michigan, to Anna Merle (born Hallmark) and Robert Lee Greer. She grew up in Clare, Michigan. She graduated from Clare High School. She was president of her junior class, making her the first female class president at the school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in 1972. She also received a Master of Social Work degree from Michigan State University in 1975, graduating magna cum laude.
Early political career
In 1974, while studying at Michigan State University, Stabenow ran for public office for the first time. This decision was influenced by the danger of a local nursing home closing. She won her first election in November 1974, becoming one of only three women ever elected to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners. She served on the board from 1975 to 1978. In 1977 and 1978, she became the first woman and youngest person to lead the board at that time. Ken Hope, one of her political mentors, had previously held this role. Stabenow also helped create a women’s commission in Ingham County to support local issues.
In 1978, Stabenow ran against Michigan State Representative Tom Holcomb in a primary election. She won the primary and later the general election, representing the 58th House District. From 1979 to 1990, she worked in the Michigan House of Representatives. During this time, she became an important leader in the state’s Democratic Party and was the first woman to lead the House. In 1990, she ran for a Michigan Senate seat left open by William A. Sederburg. She won the election and took office in 1991, serving until 1994.
In 1994, Stabenow ran in Michigan’s Democratic primary for governor, trying to challenge Republican John Engler in the general election. U.S. Congressman Howard Wolpe won the primary with 35% of the vote, compared to Stabenow’s 30%. Afterward, Wolpe chose Stabenow as his partner in the election. She appeared on the ballot as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. Engler won the general election with 61% of the vote, while Wolpe and Stabenow received 38%.
In 1996, Stabenow ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging Republican U.S. Congressman Dick Chrysler for Michigan’s 8th congressional district. She won with 54% of the vote. She was reelected in 1998 with 57% of the vote. While in the House, she worked on the Agriculture and Science Committees.
U.S. Senate
In 2000, Stabenow did not run for reelection in the House. Instead, she ran against Republican U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham. She won the Democratic primary without any competition. In the general election, Stabenow defeated Abraham with 49.5% of the vote compared to Abraham’s 48% (a difference of 67,259 votes).
In a later election, Stabenow faced Republican Michael Bouchard, who was the Oakland County sheriff and a former State Senate leader. Stabenow won with 57% of the vote compared to Bouchard’s 41%.
Stabenow ran without competition in the Democratic primary again and defeated Republican nominee Pete Hoekstra, a former U.S. representative, with 59% of the vote compared to Hoekstra’s 38%.
Stabenow was reelected for a fourth term, defeating Republican nominee John E. James with 52.3% of the vote compared to James’s 45.8%. The margin of victory was 275,660 votes (6.50%), making this the closest U.S. Senate election in Michigan since 2000.
Before her final committee roles, Stabenow served on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and the Special Committee on Aging.
Stabenow is the second person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the Michigan State Legislature and both houses of the U.S. Congress. The other person was Thomas W. Ferry. She is also the first person to have served as a Michigan state legislator and then be elected to the U.S. Senate by voters (before the 17th Amendment in 1913, U.S. senators were chosen by state legislatures).
In 2004, Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate when she was elected secretary of the Democratic caucus. In this role, she helped Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid set the Democratic agenda. Senator Dick Durbin was elected minority whip, the second-ranking position. In 2006, Reid announced that Stabenow would leave the secretary role to become chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, which works to connect Democratic senators and community leaders.
After Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the National Organization for Women encouraged President Barack Obama to appoint Stabenow, citing her work in health care and her background as a social worker.
In 2011, Stabenow became chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee after Blanche Lincoln lost her re-election. During her time in this role, she supported the renewal and reform of the 2012 U.S. Farm Bill. In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reintroduced the Farm Bill, and Stabenow supported this effort, stating that helping the nation’s agriculture economy while reducing spending was a top priority.
On October 29, 2014, Stabenow introduced the Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act (S. 1603; 113th Congress), a bill to confirm the status of lands taken into trust for the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band. The bill would prevent legal challenges to the band’s land trust based on the Supreme Court decision Carcieri v. Salazar.
In 2021, Stabenow was present during the certification of the U.S. Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. She and others were evacuated from the Senate chamber and taken to a safe location. She described the event as “heartbreaking” and “like something out of a movie,” saying she had not felt that much fear since the September 11 attacks. After the Capitol was secured, Congress resumed its work to certify the election. Stabenow supported the certification. The day after the attack, she called for Trump’s removal from office through the 25th Amendment or impeachment.
Committees and roles:
– Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (chair): As chair, Senator Stabenow had special membership on all subcommittees.
– Committee on the Budget
– Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
– Subcommittee on Energy
– Subcommittee on National Parks
– Subcommittee on Water and Power
– Committee on Finance
– Subcommittee on Health Care
– Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
– Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
Caucuses:
– Afterschool Caucuses
– Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
– Congressional Coalition on Adoption
– Rare Disease Caucus
Political positions
Senator Stabenow supports the right to make decisions about reproductive health and opposes making abortion illegal. She voted against laws related to "abortion trafficking" and against linking federal health grants to a recipient's stance on abortion.
In 2018, she supported Michigan Proposal 1, which legalized the use of cannabis for personal purposes. She believes law enforcement should help ensure the law is followed properly.
In 2013, a writer named Greg Kaufmann claimed that Senator Stabenow wanted to reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $8 to $9 billion. Her office denied these claims, stating she strongly opposes cutting food assistance benefits and has opposed a Republican plan to reduce SNAP funding by $40 billion. Kaufmann continued to challenge her office’s statements.
In 2017, she worked to stop new rules that would require older SNAP recipients or those with young children to work more. She led a bipartisan effort to pass legislation that protected these rules.
In October 2002, she was one of 23 senators who voted against allowing the use of military force in Iraq.
In April 2019, she signed a letter to President Trump urging him to change a decision that could harm U.S. national security and worsen conditions in Central America. The senators argued that foreign aid to Central American countries helps reduce migration to the U.S. by improving living conditions there.
She secured $100 million to fix water lines in Flint, Michigan, which had contaminated drinking water with lead. She also pushed to add a program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to children in Flint through the Farm Bill.
She received very low scores from groups that support free-market policies and high scores from groups that support liberal economic policies.
In 2007, she supported a bipartisan effort to pass NOPEC, which aimed to stop unfair practices by foreign oil producers and lower U.S. oil costs. In 2008, she voted against a financial aid program proposed by President George W. Bush.
In 2009, she supported President Barack Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan.
In 2010, she introduced the China Fair Trade Act, which would stop the use of federal funds to buy Chinese products until China agrees to follow international trade rules. The bill also required reports on China’s industrial policies and monitoring of its renewable energy development.
In October 2011, she supported tax breaks for companies that use crops like soybeans and corn to make medicines, plastics, and soaps.
In August 2012, she supported partnerships between farmers and businesses and backed a government plan to increase purchases of bio-based products.
In 2015, she introduced an amendment to address unfair currency practices in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
In 2015, she received an award for her work on economic development, including her role in the 2014 Farm Bill and her support for job training programs.
In 2017, she introduced the American Jobs Agenda, which included two laws: one to require the U.S. government to prioritize buying American-made goods and another to offer tax cuts for companies that bring jobs back to the U.S.
In April 2017, she signed a letter to President Trump about the harm caused by cheap Chinese steel sold in the U.S. market. She called on Trump to address the issue with Chinese leaders.
In May 2017, she and Senator Gary Peters announced a grant to help develop the economy in West Michigan. She also said the farm safety net needed improvements, especially for dairy farmers.
At a July 2017 meeting, she said the most common request she receives in Michigan is for jobs in technical and construction fields. She emphasized the importance of creating an economy that works for everyone.
In 2017, a group called the Biotechnology Industry Organization thanked her for supporting the development of a "biobased economy" through a law that would offer tax credits for renewable chemicals.
In October 2017, she and Senator Peters introduced a law to improve access to loans for small businesses. The law aimed to help small businesses grow and create jobs.
She received high scores from groups that support immigration and low scores from groups that oppose immigration.
During the 2018 government shutdown, she helped end the shutdown by supporting a spending bill that extended health insurance for children. She said the agreement helped provide stability for families and national defense.
Awards and honors
In February 2023, a portrait of Debbie Stabenow painted by Michigan artist Joshua Adam Risner was shown publicly in the Russell Senate Office Building. Usually, leaders of congressional committees receive portraits in the rooms where they work. Stabenow's portrait was created because of her long service as chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The portrait was requested by the Historical Society of Michigan.
On October 3, 2024, Washington Park in Lansing, Michigan was renamed Debbie Stabenow Park to honor her contributions.
Personal life
Stabenow is a member of the United Methodist Church.
Stabenow first married Dennis Stabenow. They had two children and divorced in 1990.
In 2003, Stabenow married Tom Athans, co-founder of Democracy Radio and a former executive vice president at Air America. She has a stepdaughter from this marriage. They divorced in 2010.
Stabenow appeared briefly in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as the governor of the unspecified state where Metropolis is located. She was invited to appear because the scene was filmed in Michigan and because of her support for film-industry incentives.
In 2024, Stabenow decided not to run for a fifth term in the Senate. She stated she wanted to spend more time with her family, including her 96-year-old mother.