John Hieftje

John Hieftje
Hieftje in 2012
60th Mayor of Ann Arbor
In office November 13, 2000 – November 10, 2014
Preceded by	Ingrid Sheldon
Succeeded by	Christopher Taylor
Member of the Ann Arbor City Council from Ward 1
In office November 8, 1999 – November 13, 2000
Preceded by	Patricia Vereen-Dixon
Succeeded by	Robert M. Johnson
Personal details
Born	Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kathryn Goodson
Children	1
Alma mater	Eastern Michigan University

John Hieftje (/ˈhiːftjɛ/ HEEFT-yeh, /-dʒə/ -⁠jə) is an American politician who served as the 60th mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hieftje began his political career in 1999, when he was elected to the city council for Ann Arbor's 1st Ward as a Democrat. He was first as Mayor in 2000, and was re-elected in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

Early life

Hieftje was born in Battle Creek, Michigan and grew up in Ann Arbor. Hieftje worked for the United States Forest Service and as a real estate agent. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1997.

Environmentalist stance

Hieftje has campaigned as an environmentalist, advocating for various alternative energy, anti-sprawl, and parks measures. The largest of these was a 2003 ballot initiative in which Ann Arbor residents were asked to approve property tax increases to fund the Ann Arbor Parks and Greenbelt Program. This anti-sprawl program called for the purchase of conservation easements on up to 7,000 acres (28 km²) of land in and around the city in order to preserve farmland and open space. On November 4, 2003, Ann Arbor residents approved this program 2-1, generating about $35 million to purchase land.

Hieftje considers himself "an environmentalist and a fiscal conservative."

Career and awards

Hieftje has served on the boards of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, the Michigan Theater, the Huron River Watershed Council, and the Lake Superior Conservancy and Watershed Council. He has served as Co-Chair of the Washtenaw Metro Alliance and as Chair of Recycle Ann Arbor and of Urban Core Mayors of Michigan. He is a member of the Sierra Club, the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, and the National Wildlife Federation (Great Lakes Office).

Hieftje has won several awards, including Local Elected Official of the Year Award from the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association, the Conservation Leadership Award from the Greater Detroit Audubon Society, the Conservation Award from the Huron Valley Group of Sierra Club, and the Preservationist of the Year Award from Washtenaw Land Trust.

Electoral history

City Council

1999

1999 Ann Arbor City Council Ward 1 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje	818	69.91%
	Democratic	Simone Lightfoot	350	29.91%
	Write-in	Write-ins	2	0.17%
Total votes			1,170

1999 Ann Arbor City Council Ward 1

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje	1,090	87.62%
	Libertarian	Charles Goodman	140	11.25%
	Write-in	Write-ins	14	1.13%
Total votes			1,244

Mayor

2000

2000 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje	34,111	68.34%
	Republican	Stephen Rapundalo	13,946	27.94%
	Libertarian	Charles Goodman	1,849	3.70%
	Write-in	Audrey L. Jackson	9	0.02%

2002

2002 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	26,495	75.05%
	Republican	Marcia Higgins	8,764	24.83%
	Write-in	Write-ins	43	0.12%
Total votes			35,302

2004

2004 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	38,067	68.65%
	Republican	Jane Lumm	17,285	31.17%
	Write-in	Write-ins	97	0.17%
Total votes			55,449

2006

2006 Ann Arbor mayoral election Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	6,703	69.71%
	Democratic	Wendy Ann Woods	2,913	30.29%
	Write-in	Write-ins	0	0.00%
Total votes			9,616

2006 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	30,935	78.88%
	Independent	Tom Wall	8,283	21.12%
	Write-in	Write-ins	0	0.00%
Total votes			39,218

2008

2008 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	46,811	84.94%
	Libertarian	Eric Plourde	8,001	14.52%
	Write-in	Write-ins	300	0.54%
Total votes			55,112

2010

2010 Ann Arbor mayoral election Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	10,058	83.91%
	Democratic	Patricia Lesko	1,869	15.59%
	Write-in	Write-ins	60	0.50%
Total votes			11,987

2010 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	27,957	81.99%
	Independent	Steve Bean	5,983	17.55%
	Write-in	Write-ins	159	0.47%
Total votes			34,099

2012

2012 Ann Arbor mayoral election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Hieftje (incumbent)	42,262	84.11%
	Independent	Albert Howard	7,652	15.23%
	Write-in	Write-ins	335	0.67%
Total votes			50,249

External links

• Mayor of Ann Arbor