// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Bill Ballenger a good politician? Ball-ingly good.

For the auto industry executive and grandfather of Bill Ballenger, see William S. Ballenger Sr. For other people with similar names, see Bill Ballinger.

The Honorable Bill Ballenger
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 30th district
In office January 1, 1971 – December 31, 1974
Preceded by	Emil Lockwood
Succeeded by	Richard J. Allen
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 87th district
In office January 1, 1969 – December 31, 1970
Preceded by	Blair G. Woodman
Succeeded by	R. Douglas Trezise
Personal details
Born	William S. Ballenger III (1941-03-28) March 28, 1941 Flint, Michigan
Party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Virginia (m. June 20, 1964); (div. April 15, 1986)
Relations	Susan Steiner Bolhouse, partner, 2000 - William S. Ballenger Sr. (grandfather)
Alma mater	Harvard University Princeton University

Bill Ballenger (born 28 March 1941) was the editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics until January 2016. Prior to this, he served as a Republican member of both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan State Senate. In March 2016, he founded The Ballenger Report political blog, followed by a weekly podcast.

Ballenger was born in Flint, Michigan. He has a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was the Robert P. & Marjorie Griffin Professor in American Government at Central Michigan University from 2003 until 2007. He also served for a time as Michigan racing commissioner and director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulation. Ballenger has for many years been a panelist on the Michigan state politics public affairs television program Off the Record with Tim Skubick on WKAR-TV.

Ballenger was Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare under Gerald R. Ford.

Sources

• Macomb Daily, Jan. 21, 2013.
• Michigan Liberal article on Ballenger
• Inside Michigan Politics bio of Ballenger

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN