Mike Sullivan (Wyoming)

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Mike Sullivan
[[Image:‎|225px|Mike Sullivan (Wyoming)]]

In office
January 7, 1987 – January 7, 1995
Preceded by Edgar J. Herschler
Succeeded by Jim Geringer

Born September 22, 1939 (1939-09-22) (age 68)
Omaha, Nebraska
Political party Democratic
Spouse Jane Metzler Sullivan
Profession Attorney

Michael John "Mike" Sullivan (born September 22, 1939, in Omaha, Nebraska) is a former two-term Democratic Governor of Wyoming, having served from 1987-1995.

His father, J. B. Sullivan, moved the family to Douglas, to open a law practice. Mike Sullivan graduated from Converse County High School in Douglas as the class salutatorian. He continued his education at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering and then a law degree.

Sullivan practiced law with the firm of Brown, Drew, Apostolos, Massey, and Sullivan for twenty years and then ran for governor in 1986. He was Governor of Wyoming from 1987 to 1995. In his 1990 reelection, he defeated the Mary Hansen Mead (1935 - 1996) of Jackson, daughter of former Republican Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford P. Hansen. Sullivan received 104,638 votes (65.4 percent) to her 55,471 ballots (34.6 percent). In the general election, Mead polled only 4,311 more votes than she had in her closed primary. Hence, she was unable to reach beyond her base of support within the GOP.

Sullivan ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994, but lost 59-39% to then-Representative Craig L. Thomas, largely due to the Republican wave of 1994.

Four years after his governorship ended, Sullivan was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ireland by President Clinton, a post he held from 1999 to 2001.[1]

Sullivan is currently a partner at the Casper office of the law firm of Rothgerber, Johnson, & Lyons.

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Preceded by
Edgar J. Herschler
Governor of Wyoming
1987–1995
Succeeded by
Jim Geringer