Jason Gillikin

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Jason E. Gillikin
Senate Majority Whip
In Office:
2017 - 2018
Preceded by James MacGillicutty
Succeeded by Robert Adams
Senator from the Great Lakes
In Office:
2011 - 2018
Served alongside: Wellbourne, Brockmeier, Jennings
Preceded by Angela Chiles
Succeeded by Alice Fox
Born

September 15, 1970
Grand Rapids, MI
Political Party Republican
Spouse Helene (Gordon) Gillikin
Religion Roman Catholic


Jason E. Gillikin (born 15 September 1970) is the former senior U.S. Senator representing the Great Lakes.

Contents

Early Life

Jason Gillikin was born in September 1970 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating from Western Michigan University with a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in philosophy, Jason joined the U.S. Navy, where he served for six years doing classified intelligence analysis at sea, for the War on Terror.

During his naval career, Jason met and married Helene Gordon. After resigning his commission at the rank of Commander to attend to his ailing father, Jason worked as a healthcare ethicist and eventually was asked to run for Congress representing Michigan's third district upon the retirement of Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers.

U.S. House of Representatives

Gillikin was elected to the House in 2008. During his single term of office, he was selected to serve as chairman of the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Government Regulations, succeeding Rep. Marc Hunter, who resigned from Congress in the middle of the session. Gillikin was also selected as the chief deputy majority whip, and served as acting whip upon the departure of Rep. Anthony Stark. After the 2010 elections, Gillikin resigned from the House to return to the private sector.

U.S. Senate

After Sen. Angela Chiles resigned her seat representing the Great Lakes region, Gov. Andrew Merrilin appointed Gillikin to fill the vacancy. During the appointed term, Gillikin was appointed vice-chairman, and later chairman, of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Gillikin narrowly won his bid to be elected to the Great Lakes seat outright in 2012, besting U.S. Rep. Drew Brockmeier, the sitting chairman of the Democratic National Committee, by less than 1 point, in a highly contested race.

After winning election to the remaining two years of Chiles's term, Gillikin was appointed chairman of the Domestic Affairs Committee. During his tenture as DAC chairman, Gillikin oversaw the discharge of more than 40 bills.

In 2014, Gillikin faced U.S. Rep. Christine Roberts in a very negative and expensive race that cost more than $55 million dollars. Gillikin defeated Roberts, who had been a high-ranking member of the House Democratic caucus; after the election, Roberts was elected to serve as Speaker of the House. The 114th Congress saw Senate Republicans in the minority; Gillikin successfully served on the Judiciary and Domestic Affairs committees.

At the beginning of the 115th Congress (2017-2019), Gillikin narrowly defeated U.S. Sen. Valeria Smith to serve as the Senate majority whip. He was also appointed as a member of the Government Regulations and Commerce Committee.

Resignment

Gillikin resigned from his seat in late 2018 for personal reasons. Democrat Alice Fox was appointed to serve in his place.

Senate Election: 2014


Election 2014: Great Lakes Senator
Party Candidate Votes  %
Republican Sen. Jason Gillikin (I) 3,850,018 50.24%
Democrat Rep. Christine Roberts 3,787,389 49.42%
Total 7,663,344

Political Ideology

Gillikin is known as a center-right Republican who has a solid legislative history of free-market capitalism and wise-use environmentalism.

Biographical Facts

Jason is an avid golfer and runner. He is a philosophy buff and writer, and a practicing Catholic. When not in Washington, Jason and Helene reside in Grand Rapids with their German Shepherd, named Chiles in honor of the former Senator.

External Links

Preceded by
Angela Chiles
Senator (Class 3) from the Great Lakes
2011 - Present
Served alongside: Wellbourne, Brockmeier, Jennings
Succeeded by
Incumbent

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Preceded by
James MacGillicutty
Senate Majority Whip
2017 - Present
Succeeded by
Incumbent

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