Mike Sullivan | |
|---|---|
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| United States Ambassador to Ireland | |
| In office October 22, 1998 – June 20, 2001 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Jean Kennedy Smith |
| Succeeded by | Richard J. Egan |
| 29th Governor of Wyoming | |
| In office January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Edgar Herschler |
| Succeeded by | Jim Geringer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael John Sullivan September 22, 1939 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (2022) |
| Spouse | Jane Metzler |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Joseph Sullivan (grandfather) |
| Education | University of Wyoming (BS, JD) |
| Signature | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Governor_Mike_Sullivan_signature.png){kind=small} |
Michael John Sullivan (born September 22, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 29th Governor of Wyoming from 1987 to 1995, and United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1998 to 2001, as a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his gubernatorial tenure he was active in local politics in Natrona County, Wyoming.
Sullivan was born in Omaha, Nebraska, as a member of a political family active in the Wyoming Legislature and grew up in Douglas, Wyoming. He was educated at Converse County High School and the University of Wyoming. He practiced law and became involved in local politics with his service on the Natrona County Memorial Hospital board. Sullivan won in the 1986 and 1990 gubernatorial elections despite being outspent both times by Pete Simpson and Mary Mead.
During Sullivan's gubernatorial tenure he became the first governor in Wyoming's history to have his veto overturned, appointed three people to the Wyoming Supreme Court, oversaw Wyoming's most recent criminal execution, led the passage of a holiday in Martin Luther King Jr.'s honor, and chaired the Western Governors Association. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the United States Senate in the 1994 election before being appointed as the ambassador to Ireland by President Bill Clinton. He was the first governor to endorse Clinton during the 1992 Democratic presidential primaries and co-chaired his campaign in Wyoming during both presidential campaigns.