Jim Ananich proudly represents the residents of the 27th State Senate District, which includes the city of Flint and much of Genesee County. Named by his peers to serve as Minority Leader, Jim fights for the safety, health and prosperity of all Michigan residents.

Jim and his wife, Andrea, reside in Flint with their son, Jacob, and dog, Maddie. Like thousands of other Flint families they worry about their son’s future, but remain committed to the city that they grew up in and are working on making it stronger than ever.

A former teacher at Carmen-Ainsworth and Flint Community Schools, Jim has also worked as an education coordinator for Priority Children, where he helped Genesee County youth secure internships and jobs.

He served four years on the Flint City Council — including one year as its president — during which time he voted to cut his own pay by 15 percent and refused to accept any perks. Elected to the Legislature in 2012, he has continued his push for reforms by voting to end lifetime benefits for politicians and finding savings for taxpayers in his own office budget.

A fighter against cuts to school funding and tax hikes on middle-class families, Jim has been leading efforts to create jobs, improve workforce development and curb the opioid epidemic — including introducing a bill to allow schools to stock lifesaving overdose reversal drugs, which passed and became law in 2016.

A graduate of Flint Central High School, Jim has a bachelor’s degree in political economics and a secondary education certificate in social studies from Michigan State University. He also has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.