Don Riegle | |
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Chair of the Senate Banking Committee | |
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995 |
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Preceded by | William Proxmire |
Succeeded by | Al D'Amato |
United States Senator from Michigan |
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In office December 30, 1976 – January 3, 1995 |
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Preceded by | Philip Hart |
Succeeded by | Spencer Abraham |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 7th district |
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In office January 3, 1967 – December 30, 1976 |
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Preceded by | John C. Mackie |
Succeeded by | Dale Kildee |
Personal details | |
Born |
Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. February 4, 1938 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
Political party |
Republican (Before 1973) Democratic (1973–present) |
Spouse(s) | Lori Hansen (1978–present) |
Children | 2 |
Education |
University of Michigan, Flint Western Michigan University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BA) Michigan State University (MBA) Harvard University |
Donald Wayne "Don" Riegle Jr. (born February 4, 1938) is an American politician from Michigan, who served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator in the U.S. Congress.
Riegle was born in Flint, Michigan, and is a graduate of Flint Central High School. His father, Donald W. Riegle, served as the Republican mayor of Flint, Michigan, 1952–1954.
He attended Flint Junior College and Western Michigan University, graduated with a B.A in business administration and economics from the University of Michigan (Class of 1960), and received an M.B.A. in finance from Michigan State University (Class of 1961). Riegle was employed by IBM as a financial analyst from 1961-64. He completed required course work for doctoral studies in business and government relations at Harvard Business School, 1964–66, before leaving to run for Congress. Riegle taught at Michigan State University, Boston University, the University of Southern California, and Harvard University.
In 1966, Riegle, then 28 years old and a moderate Republican, defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative John C. Mackie, to be elected from Michigan's 7th congressional district to the 90th Congress. He was subsequently re-elected as a Republican in the next three elections. In 1973, Riegle changed party affiliation to become a Democrat over differences with the Nixon-Agnew Administration regarding the Vietnam War and the southern strategy. He was re-elected as a Democrat to the 94th Congress. He did not run for reelection to the House in 1976, but announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Senator Philip Hart and defeated Michigan Secretary of State Richard H. Austin and fellow Congressman James G. O'Hara in the Democratic primary. He defeated Republican Congressman Marvin L. Esch in the general election.