Sander Levin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of theHouse Ways and Means Committee | |
| In office March 4, 2010 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Rangel |
| Succeeded by | Dave Camp |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | William M. Brodhead |
| Succeeded by | Andy Levin |
| Constituency | 17th district (1983–1993) 12th district (1993–2013) 9th district (2013–2019) |
| Member of theMichigan Senate from the15th district | |
| In office January 13, 1965 – January 13, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | John Fitzgerald |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Cooper |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sander Martin Levin (1931-09-06)September 6, 1931 (age 94) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingAndy |
| Relatives | Carl Levin (brother) |
| Education | University of Chicago (BA) Columbia University (MA) Harvard University (LLB) |
| Signature |  |
Sander Martin Levin (born September 6, 1931) is an American politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2019, representingMichigan's 9th congressional district (numbered as the17th District from 1983 to 1993 and as the12th District from 1993 to 2013). Levin, a member of theDemocratic Party fromMichigan, is a former ranking member on theHouse Ways and Means Committee;[1] he was Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee from 2010 to 2011. He was the older brother of formerU.S. SenatorCarl Levin, and is the father of former CongressmanAndy Levin, his successor.
In December 2017, Levin announced that he would retire fromCongress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in2018.[2] His son Andy was elected on November 6, 2018, and took office in the116th Congress, which commenced on January 3, 2019.
Levin was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son ofJewish parents Bess Rachel (née Levinson) and Saul R. Levin.[3] He graduated fromCentral High School in Detroit, received a bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Chicago in 1952, aMaster's degree in international relations fromColumbia University in 1954, and a law degree fromHarvard Law School in 1957. Afterwards, he developed a private practice in Detroit.
Levin was named chairman of theOakland County Democratic Party in 1962.[4] He was elected asState Senator for the15th district in 1964, defeating Republican George W. Kuhn.[5]Levin served in the position until 1970.[6] Following the 1967 resignation ofMichigan Democratic Party chairmanZolton Ferency, Levin was elected state party chairman on December 17. He resigned his position as minorityfloor leader the following January.[7] He served as Senate minority leader from January 1969 to January 1970, when he resigned to run for governor.[8]
He made unsuccessful campaigns forGovernor of Michigan in1970 and1974, both times losing toRepublicanWilliam Milliken. He was a Fellow of theHarvard Kennedy School in 1975. From 1977 through 1981 he was assistant administrator of theAgency for International Development.[6]
In 1982, incumbent Democratic U.S. CongressmanWilliam Brodhead decided not to run for re-election, instead making an unsuccessful run for governor. Levin won the Democratic primary inMichigan's 17th congressional district with 49% of the vote,[9] which at that time included northwestern Detroit as well as parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. Levin subsequently won this 1982 general election with 67% of the vote.[10] He typically won re-election with at least 56% of the vote since then, exceptions being 1992 and 1994 elections. After the1990 United States census, his district was renumbered as the 12th district and lost its share of Detroit. In 1992, he narrowly defeated businessman andVietnam War veteranJohn Pappageorge 53%-46%.[11] In a 1994 rematch, Levin again defeated this same opponent, during the midst of theRepublican Revolution, 52%-47%.[12] Then again in 1996, Levin defeated Pappageorge by a larger margin in a third rematch 57%-41%.[13] In 1998, Levin won re-election against Republican nominee Leslie A. Touma, 56%-42%.[14] In 2000, Detroit Metro area businessman Bart Baron gained the endorsement of theUnited Auto Workers Union, but Levin still managed to win re-election with 64% of the vote.[15] The 2000s redistricting added heavily DemocraticSouthfield and Mount Clemens to the district, and he won re-election in every election with at least 61% of the vote since.[16]
After redistricting, Levin's district was merged with the 9th District of fellow DemocratGary Peters.[17] The district retained Peters' district number—the 9th—but geographically was more Levin's district. Peters opted to run in the newly redrawn14th District.[18] This effectively handed the Democratic nomination to Levin. While he lost Southfield to the 14th, it picked up the rest of Royal Oak, as well as Oak Park,Clawson andBerkley, among other locations. It was no less Democratic than its predecessor, and Levin breezed to a 16th term with 61.4 percent of the vote.
Levin took over as chairman of the Ways and Means committee on March 4, 2010, whenCharles B. Rangel of New York stepped aside in due to a number of ethics violations.[19] Levin served as chairman until January 2011 and ranking member until the end of 2016.[1]
Levin was a member of theHouse Baltic Caucus[20] and theCongressional Arts Caucus.[21]
As a member of Congress, Levin was a supporter ofIsrael. He supported thenuclear deal with Iran, and said that Israel, the region, and the world would be more secure under the Iran nuclear deal.[22]
His wife of 50 years, Vicki Schlafer, died on September 4, 2008. They had four children:Andy, Jennifer, Madeleine, and Matthew and ten grandchildren.
In a private ceremony in July 2012, Levin married Pamela Cole, age 61, aPennsylvania State University psychology professor who studies emotional development. They met through his late wife Vicki. Cole and Levin worked to create a fund in her name for young professionals researching early childhood development.[23]
Levin comes from a family that has long been prominent in Michigan politics. His younger brotherCarl Levin was the state's senior Senator until his retirement in January 2015. His uncle,Theodore, was a federal judge. His first cousinCharles was aMichigan Supreme Court justice, after serving as aMichigan Court of Appeals judge. Another first cousin, Joseph Levin, was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. His sonAndy Levin was an unsuccessful candidate for theMichigan Senate in 2006, but in 2018 was elected to succeed him in the United States House of Representatives.[24]
| Year | Democratic | Votes | % | Republican | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Sander Levin | 116,901 | 67% | Gerald Rosen | 55,620 | 32% | Virginia Cropsey | Libertarian | 2,955 | 2% | ||||
| 1984 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 133,064 | 100% | No candidate | ||||||||||
| 1986 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 105,031 | 76% | Calvin Williams | 30,879 | 22% | Charles Martell | Independent | 1,477 | 1% | ||||
| 1988 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 135,493 | 70% | Dennis Flessland | 55,197 | 29% | Charles Hahn | Libertarian | 2,333 | 1% | ||||
| 1990 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 92,205 | 70% | Blaine Lankford | 40,100 | 30% |
| Year | Democratic | Votes | % | Republican | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 137,514 | 53% | John Pappageorge | 119,357 | 46% | Charles Hahn | Libertarian | 2,751 | 1% | R. W. Montgomery | Natural Law | 1,724 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 1994 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 103,508 | 52% | John Pappageorge | 92,762 | 47% | Jerome White | No party affiliation | 1,386 | 1% | Eric Anderson | Natural Law | 1,340 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 1996 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 133,436 | 57% | John Pappageorge | 94,235 | 41% | Albert Titran | Libertarian | 3,101 | 1% | Gail Petrosoff | Natural Law | 1,690 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 1998 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 105,824 | 56% | Leslie Touma | 79,619 | 42% | Albert Titran | Libertarian | 2,813 | 1% | Fred Rosenberg | Natural Law | 1,172 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 2000 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 157,720 | 64% | Bart Baron | 78,795 | 32% | Thomas Ness | Green | 4,137 | 2% | Andrew LeCureaux | Libertarian | 3,630 | 1% | Fred Rosenberg | Natural Law | 887 | 0% | ||||||
| 2002 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 140,970 | 68% | Harvey Dean | 61,502 | 30% | Dick Gach | Libertarian | 2,694 | 1% | Steven Revis | U.S. Taxpayers | 1,362 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 2004 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 210,827 | 69% | Randell Shafer | 88,256 | 29% | Dick Gach | Libertarian | 5,051 | 2% | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 168,494 | 71% | Randell Shafer | 62,689 | 26% | Andrew LeCureaux | Libertarian | 3,259 | 1% | Jerome White | No party affiliation | 1,862 | 1% | Art Myatt | Green | 1,735 | 1% | ||||||
| 2008 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 225,094 | 72% | Bert Copple | 74,565 | 24% | John Vico | Libertarian | 4,767 | 2% | Les Townsend | U.S. Taxpayers | 4,076 | 1% | William Opalicky | Green | 3,842 | 1% | ||||||
| 2010 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 124,671 | 61% | Don Volaric | 71,372 | 35% | Julia Williams | Green | 3,038 | 1% | Leonard Schwartz | Libertarian | 2,342 | 1% | Les Townsend | U.S. Taxpayers | 2,285 | 1% | * |
| Year | Democratic | Votes | % | Republican | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | Third party | Party | Votes | % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 208,846 | 62% | Don Volaric | 114,760 | 34% | Jim Fulner | Libertarian | 6,100 | 2% | Julia Williams | Green | 4,708 | 1% | Les Townsend | U.S. Taxpayers | 2,902 | 1% | ||||||
| 2014 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 136,342 | 60% | George Brikho | 81,470 | 36% | Gregory Creswell | Libertarian | 4,792 | 2% | John McDermott | Green | 3,153 | 1% | ||||||||||
| 2016 | Sander Levin(incumbent) | 199,661 | 58% | Christopher Morse | 128,937 | 37% | Matthew Orlando | Libertarian | 9,563 | 3% | John McDermott | Green | 6,614 | 2% |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Michigan 1970,1974 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 17th congressional district 1983–1993 | Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 12th congressional district 1993–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theJoint China Commission 2007–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Ways and Means Committee 2010–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Dave Camp | Ranking Member of theHouse Ways and Means Committee 2011–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 9th congressional district 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
Chairs of theUnited States House Committee on Ways and Means | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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