Dan Kildee

Dan Kildee
Born	Daniel Timothy Kildee 11 8, 1958
Birthplace	Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, academic
Title	Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government, Central Michigan University
Known for	U.S. Representative from Michigan (2013–2025), Genesee County Treasurer, land bank advocacy
Education	Central Michigan University (BS)
Children	3
Website	[http://dankildee.com/ Official site]

Daniel Timothy Kildee (born August 11, 1958) is an American politician and public policy figure who served as the U.S. Representative from Michigan for six terms, from 2013 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Kildee represented Michigan's 5th congressional district from 2013 to 2023 and Michigan's 8th congressional district from 2023 to 2025, following redistricting. Before entering Congress, he served as the Genesee County Treasurer from 1996 to 2009, a role in which he became nationally recognized for his innovative approaches to addressing urban blight and vacant properties through the creation of land bank authorities. Kildee succeeded his uncle, Dale Kildee, who had represented the Flint-area congressional district for over three decades, establishing what observers described as a political dynasty rooted in mid-Michigan. During his time in Congress, Kildee was a prominent voice on the Flint water crisis, infrastructure investment, insulin pricing, and PFAS contamination. On November 16, 2023, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2024, and he left office on January 3, 2025. In February 2025, he was named the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University.

Early Life

Daniel Timothy Kildee was born on August 11, 1958, in Flint, Michigan, a city that would define much of his political career and public identity. He grew up in the Flint area during a period when the city was still a major hub of the American automobile industry, anchored by General Motors. His family had deep roots in Michigan politics; his uncle, Dale Kildee, served in the Michigan state legislature before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, where he would serve until 2013.

Kildee entered public life at an early age. Beginning in 1977, when he was just 18 years old, he became a municipal elected official, launching a career in local government that would span more than three decades. His early exposure to the challenges facing Flint and the surrounding Genesee County — including population decline, deindustrialization, and the growing problem of abandoned and blighted properties — shaped his policy priorities for the rest of his career.

The Kildee family's presence in mid-Michigan politics was described by observers as a political dynasty. Dan Kildee's trajectory from local government to the U.S. Congress, succeeding his uncle in the same seat, reinforced this characterization. However, Kildee built his own distinct political identity through his work on land use policy and urban revitalization issues before seeking federal office.

Education

Kildee attended the University of Michigan–Flint before transferring to Central Michigan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. His connection to Central Michigan University would continue throughout his career; in 2025, after leaving Congress, he returned to the institution as the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government.

Career

Genesee County Treasurer and Land Bank Advocacy

Kildee served as the Genesee County Treasurer from 1996 to 2009, a position that placed him at the center of efforts to address the economic and physical decline of Flint and surrounding communities. During this time, he developed a national reputation for his work in creating innovative mechanisms to deal with vacant and abandoned properties — a problem that had become acute in Flint as the city lost population and its economic base eroded.

Kildee was instrumental in the creation of the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, one of the first land bank programs in the United States. The land bank model allowed local governments to acquire, manage, and repurpose tax-foreclosed and abandoned properties, turning liabilities into potential community assets. The approach attracted national attention, and Kildee became a sought-after expert on the topic of urban land reform.

A 2009 New York Times article profiled the efforts in Flint to address the city's declining population and growing inventory of vacant properties, highlighting the kind of policy approaches Kildee had championed. Kildee also advocated for reforms to land sales processes, arguing that existing systems often allowed speculators to acquire blighted properties without the means or intention to rehabilitate them.

After leaving the treasurer's office, Kildee continued his land use policy work. He founded the Center for Community Progress, a national nonprofit organization focused on helping communities address the challenges of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties. His demolition and land reuse expertise later informed his legislative work in Congress, where he pushed for federal support for demolition programs in distressed communities.

Gubernatorial Consideration

In 2010, Kildee considered running for governor of Michigan. He generated significant early support for a potential candidacy, and supporters organized efforts to build his profile statewide. However, he ultimately announced his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race in March 2010, choosing not to pursue the statewide contest.

Election to Congress

When his uncle Dale Kildee announced in 2011 that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Dan Kildee quickly emerged as a leading candidate to succeed him. In November 2011, he formally announced his campaign for the congressional seat. Kildee had previously indicated his interest in the seat, stating he would give "serious consideration" to a run if his uncle chose to retire.

The race to fill Dale Kildee's seat drew multiple contenders who officially filed for the position. Kildee won the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election in November 2012. He was sworn in as a member of the 113th Congress on January 3, 2013.

Upon entering Congress, Kildee was appointed to committee assignments that aligned with his background in local government and economic development.

Congressional Career

Kildee served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from January 2013 to January 2025. During his tenure, he focused on issues affecting his constituents in mid-Michigan, including infrastructure, clean water, economic revitalization, healthcare affordability, and environmental protection.

Flint Water Crisis

Kildee became one of the most prominent congressional voices during the Flint water crisis, which began in 2014 when the city's water source was switched to the Flint River without adequate corrosion control treatment, leading to widespread lead contamination of the drinking water supply. As the representative for Flint, Kildee pushed aggressively for federal action and funding to address the crisis.

In September 2016, Kildee publicly accused Republican leaders in the House of refusing to provide adequate assistance to Flint because of the racial composition of the city's population. His advocacy contributed to a deal in the House to include Flint aid in broader spending legislation to avert a government shutdown. Kildee's work on the Flint water crisis became a defining element of his congressional career and raised his national profile as an advocate for environmental justice and infrastructure investment.

Infrastructure and Demolition

Drawing on his pre-congressional experience with land banks and urban revitalization, Kildee advocated in Congress for federal funding for demolition programs to address blight in economically distressed communities. He argued that tearing down abandoned structures was a necessary precondition for neighborhood revitalization and economic recovery in cities like Flint.

Insulin Pricing

Kildee was active in legislative efforts to address the cost of insulin for Americans with diabetes. He introduced and supported legislation aimed at controlling insulin pricing, an issue he spoke about publicly on multiple occasions. His advocacy on this issue was part of a broader Democratic effort to address prescription drug affordability.

PFAS Contamination

Kildee worked on bipartisan legislation to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, a significant environmental and public health concern in Michigan and across the United States. In November 2024, during his final months in office, Kildee and U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania introduced bipartisan legislation to continue ensuring accountability for PFAS contamination and to support cleanup efforts. This bipartisan approach was characteristic of Kildee's legislative style on environmental issues.

2022 Re-election

Following redistricting after the 2020 census, Kildee ran in the newly drawn Michigan 8th congressional district. He faced Republican challenger Paul Junge in what observers characterized as one of his most competitive general election races. Kildee won the race and continued serving in the 118th Congress.

Decision Not to Seek Re-election

On November 16, 2023, Kildee announced that he would not seek re-election in 2024. The announcement created an open seat in the competitive Michigan 8th congressional district, drawing attention from both parties. In explaining his decision, Kildee discussed his desire to pursue other priorities after more than a decade in Congress and decades in public service.

In 2017, Kildee had similarly considered but decided against running for governor of Michigan, choosing instead to remain in Congress.

Final Year in Office

During his final year in Congress, Kildee continued to work on legislative priorities including PFAS contamination and other issues important to his constituents. In an exit interview with WCMU Public Radio on January 3, 2025 — his last day as a member of Congress — Kildee reflected on his 12 years in office and the experience of serving as a lame-duck member during his final months. He was succeeded by Kristen McDonald Rivet, who won the 2024 election for the Michigan 8th congressional district seat.

Post-Congressional Career

In February 2025, Central Michigan University announced that Kildee had been named the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government. The position, named after former U.S. Senator Robert P. Griffin and his wife Marjorie, is an academic appointment at the university where Kildee had earned his bachelor's degree decades earlier.

Personal Life

Kildee has three children. His uncle, Dale Kildee, represented Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 2013, and Dan succeeded him in that seat. The Kildee family's long tenure in mid-Michigan politics was the subject of media coverage examining the role of political families in American public life.

In 2024 and 2025, Kildee's extended family became the subject of news coverage related to a criminal case involving Timothy John Kildee, a 28-year-old family member, who was accused of shooting and killing his father, Timothy Edward Kildee. Court records indicated that multiple competency examinations were ordered for the accused, and the case remained in the judicial process as of September 2025.

Recognition

Kildee's work on land bank policy and urban revitalization before entering Congress earned him national recognition in policy circles. His role in creating the Genesee County Land Bank Authority served as a model for other communities across the United States dealing with similar problems of blight and vacancy.

In Congress, his advocacy during the Flint water crisis raised his national profile and drew attention to the infrastructure and public health challenges facing the city. His appointment in 2025 as the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University reflected continued recognition of his expertise in government and public policy.

Legacy

Dan Kildee's career in public service spanned nearly five decades, from his entry into municipal office at age 18 in 1977 to his departure from Congress in January 2025. His legacy is closely associated with the city of Flint and the broader challenges facing post-industrial communities in the American Midwest.

His creation of the Genesee County Land Bank Authority represented an institutional innovation that was subsequently replicated by communities across the country. The land bank model he helped develop and promote became a standard tool in the toolkit of urban planners and local governments seeking to address the problems of property abandonment and blight.

In Congress, Kildee's most prominent work centered on the Flint water crisis, where he served as a persistent advocate for federal resources and accountability. His criticism of the federal and state government response, and his push for aid to be included in spending legislation, contributed to the eventual allocation of federal funds for Flint's water infrastructure repairs.

Kildee's transition to academia at Central Michigan University, where he assumed the Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government in 2025, suggested a continuation of his engagement with issues of governance and public policy in a new institutional setting. His career, following that of his uncle Dale Kildee, represented one of the more notable examples of a political family shaping the representation of a single region over an extended period in modern American politics.