Gary McDowell
Gary J. McDowell (born April 21, 1952) is a Michigan politician who served in the Michigan House of Representatives for the 107th district from 2005 to 2011. He previously spent 22 years on the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners and served on the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation board from 1987 to 2004. Since 2019, he has been the director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
McDowell was born and raised on a farm in Rudyard, Michigan, as the oldest of ten children. His father was a John Deere salesman and hay broker, and his mother was a homemaker. He graduated from Rudyard High School in 1970 and attended Lake Superior State University. He has worked as a farmer and as a UPS delivery driver for 23 years, and he volunteered as a firefighter and emergency medical technician for 18 years.
He first ran for the Michigan House in 2002 but lost to incumbent Republican Scott Shackleton. When Shackleton could not run in 2004, McDowell won the seat, defeating Walter North 54% to 46%. He was re-elected in 2006 (59%–41% over Jay Duggan) and 2008 (65%–35% over Alex Strobehn). During six years in the Legislature, he introduced 98 bills and missed 96 votes.
McDowell ran for Michigan’s 1st congressional district in 2010 and again in 2012, as the Democratic nominee against Republican Dan Benishek. He lost the 2012 race by fewer than 2,000 votes out of about 347,000 cast. He considered another challenge in 2014 but chose not to run.
He lives in Rudyard with his wife, Carrie. They have three daughters—Alivia, Emily and Rochelle—and several grandchildren. He is a member of the Rudyard First Presbyterian Church.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:45 (CET).