David E. Bonior (born June 6, 1945) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving for 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, Michigan in 1963, where he excelled in sports. He received a B.A. from the University of Iowa, where he also played football, in 1967. He received a MA from Chapman College, Orange, California, in 1972. He served in the United States Air Force during the peak of the Vietnam War, from 1968-1972.
Bonoir was a Democratic member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 12th District (based in Macomb County) for the Ninety-fifth and to the twelve succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 2003. After redistricting resulting from the 1990 U.S. Census, he represented Michigan's 10th District from 1993 to 2003. He served as Majority Whip in the 102nd and 103rd Congresses. He was Minority Whip for the 104th through 107th Congresses.
Bonior chose not to run in the 2002 election when his district was made considerably less Democratic during the redistricting following the 2000 U.S. Census. He instead ran for Governor of Michigan, but was unsuccessful in the Democratic primary, losing to Jennifer Granholm.
This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Preceded by: James G. O'Hara United States Representative for the 12th Congressional District of Michigan 1976-1993 Succeeded by: Sander Levin Preceded by: Dave Camp United States Representative for the 10th Congressional District of Michigan 1993-2003 Succeeded by: Candice S. Miller Preceded by: William H. Gray III House Democratic Whip 1991-2002 Succeeded by: Nancy Pelosi Preceded by: William H. Gray III House Majority Whip 1991-1995 Succeeded by: Tom DeLay Preceded by: Newt Gingrich House Minority Whip 1995-2002 Succeeded by: Nancy Pelosi
