Lynn N. Rivers

Lynn N. Rivers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Bill Ford
Succeeded by	Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 53rd district
In office January 13, 1993 – January 11, 1995
Preceded by	Perry Bullard
Succeeded by	Elizabeth Brater
Personal details
Born	(1956-12-19) December 19, 1956 (age 64) Au Gres, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Wayne State University (JD) University of Michigan (BA)

River's district during the 106th Congress

Lynn Nancy Rivers (born December 19, 1956) is an American politician and lawyer from Michigan. She served four terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

Biography[]

Rivers was born in Au Gres, Michigan and graduated from Au Gres-Sims High School, Arenac County, in 1975. She received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1987 and a J.D. from Wayne State University in 1992. She served as a trustee of the Ann Arbor board of education from 1984 to 1992 and was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives between 1993 and 1994.

Rivers was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 13th District to the United States House of Representatives for the 104th and to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 2003. Rivers resorted to negative attack ads against her opponent David W. Geiss (the endorsed candidate of sitting Congressman William D. Ford) to win the Democratic primary in 1994. Her district was eliminated after Michigan lost a district in the United States 2000 Census, and most of her territory was merged with the 15th District of long-time incumbent John Dingell. Rivers challenged Dingell in the Democratic primary for the new 15th. However, running in a district that was over 65 percent new to her, she lost to Dingell.

In 1994, Rivers spoke publicly about her 24-year struggle with bipolar disorder, making her the first member of the House to publicly discuss having emotional problems.^[1] In 1998, the National Mental Health Association named her "Legislator of the Year."^{[citation needed]}

Currently, she is teaching Political Science at the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor.

See also[]

• Women in the United States House of Representatives

References[]

External links[]

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Rep. Lynn Rivers at GovTrack
• Appearances on C-SPAN