Dana Nessel

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Dana Nessel
BornDana Michelle Nessel
19 4, 1969
BirthplaceWest Bloomfield Township, Michigan, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPolitician, lawyer
Known forDeBoer v. Snyder litigation; first openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in Michigan
Children2
AwardsVictory Fund Elected Official (2018)

Dana Michelle Nessel (born April 19, 1969) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 54th Attorney General of Michigan since January 1, 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she won election to the office in November 2018, succeeding Republican Bill Schuette.[1] Nessel is the first openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in Michigan and the second openly lesbian woman elected attorney general of a U.S. state, after Maura Healey of Massachusetts.[2] She is also the first Jewish person to hold the office of Michigan Attorney General. Before entering electoral politics, Nessel gained national prominence as one of the lead attorneys in DeBoer v. Snyder, a case challenging Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage that was ultimately consolidated with others and decided by the Supreme Court of the United States as Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, establishing the nationwide legal recognition of same-sex marriage. As attorney general, Nessel has pursued a range of legal actions on environmental protection, consumer rights, and civil rights, including a prolonged legal battle against Enbridge over the Line 5 pipeline running through the Straits of Mackinac.[3]

Early Life

Dana Michelle Nessel was born on April 19, 1969, in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County.[4] She grew up in the metropolitan Detroit area. Details about her parents and childhood, beyond her place of birth and upbringing in southeastern Michigan, are limited in available published sources. Nessel has spoken publicly about her Jewish heritage and her identity as a lesbian, both of which have informed aspects of her public career and advocacy work.[5]

Nessel pursued a career in law, eventually establishing herself as an attorney in the Detroit metropolitan area. Prior to running for statewide office, she worked in both the public and private sectors of the legal profession. Her legal career included work as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, where she handled a variety of criminal cases. She later transitioned to private practice, where she took on civil rights cases and developed expertise in constitutional law, particularly as it related to issues of equality and nondiscrimination.[4]

Her experience arguing civil rights cases, and particularly her work on the DeBoer v. Snyder marriage equality case, raised her public profile significantly within Michigan's legal and political communities. This background in litigation and civil rights advocacy formed the foundation for her eventual entry into electoral politics.[5]

Education

Nessel earned her Juris Doctor degree and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, after which she began her legal career in the Detroit area. Specific details regarding her undergraduate institution and law school, as documented in the available sources, are limited. Her legal training prepared her for both prosecutorial work and civil rights litigation, disciplines that would define the major phases of her professional life before and after entering public office.[4]

Career

Early Legal Career

Before entering politics, Nessel built a career as a practicing attorney in Michigan. She served as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, gaining experience in criminal law and trial advocacy. She subsequently moved into private practice, where she focused on civil rights and constitutional litigation.[4]

Nessel's most prominent legal work prior to her election as attorney general was her role as co-counsel for the plaintiffs in DeBoer v. Snyder. The case was filed on behalf of April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, a same-sex couple from Michigan who sought the legal right to jointly adopt each other's children and, by extension, challenged the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The case proceeded through the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, where Judge Bernard A. Friedman ruled in 2014 that Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The ruling was subsequently stayed and appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which reversed the lower court's decision.[5]

The case was then consolidated with similar challenges from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee and appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States as Obergefell v. Hodges. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to grant and recognize same-sex marriages, effectively legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. Nessel's work on the case brought her significant public recognition and established her as a prominent figure in the national marriage equality movement.[5]

2018 Campaign for Attorney General

Nessel announced her candidacy for the office of Attorney General of Michigan for the 2018 election cycle. During the campaign, she outlined a platform centered on several key issues, including environmental protection, consumer rights, and civil rights. Among her most prominent campaign pledges was a commitment to pursue the shutdown of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac and had been the subject of environmental concerns due to the risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes.[3]

Nessel also pledged to protect the residents of Flint affected by the Flint water crisis, indicating she would use the attorney general's office to hold those responsible accountable and to safeguard citizens' access to clean water.[6]

In April 2018, Nessel secured the endorsement of the Michigan Democratic Party at the state party convention, positioning her as the party's preferred candidate heading into the primary election.[7] She officially became the Democratic nominee after the August 2018 primary election.[8]

During her campaign, Nessel appeared on various media outlets across Michigan, discussing her policy positions and her vision for the office. In an October 2018 interview with WDET, she discussed her priorities, including consumer protection, environmental enforcement, and combating government corruption.[9] She also participated in candidate questionnaires with regional publications such as The Oakland Press.[10]

In the November 2018 general election, Nessel defeated Republican nominee Tom Leonard, winning the race and becoming the 54th Attorney General of Michigan.[1] Her victory was part of a broader Democratic wave in Michigan that year, which also saw the election of Gretchen Whitmer as governor and Jocelyn Benson as secretary of state.[11] The Victory Fund, a national organization that supports openly LGBT candidates, noted that Nessel's election made her the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in Michigan and the second openly lesbian attorney general in the United States.[2]

Attorney General: First Term

Nessel was inaugurated as Attorney General of Michigan on January 1, 2019, alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer.[11][12]

Early in her tenure, Nessel undertook a review of the state's involvement in federal lawsuits that had been initiated or joined by her predecessor, Bill Schuette. In January 2019, she announced the withdrawal of Michigan's involvement in eight federal lawsuits, signaling a shift in the attorney general's office's approach to litigation and federal-state legal relationships. Schuette had filed or joined numerous lawsuits against federal government actions during the Obama administration, several of which Nessel determined were no longer consistent with the state's interests.[13] This transition in the office's posture reflected the broader change in administration from the Republican Schuette to the Democrat Nessel.[14]

Line 5 Pipeline

One of the defining issues of Nessel's tenure as attorney general has been her legal effort to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which transports crude oil and natural gas liquids through a 4.5-mile underwater segment beneath the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Environmental advocates and Michigan officials have expressed concern that the aging pipeline poses a significant risk of an oil spill in the Great Lakes, one of the world's largest freshwater systems.[3]

Nessel had made the shutdown of Line 5 a centerpiece of her 2018 campaign.[3] After taking office, she challenged the constitutionality of a lame-duck law, signed by outgoing Governor Rick Snyder in December 2018, that created the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority to oversee the construction of a tunnel beneath the Straits to house a replacement pipeline segment. In March 2019, Nessel argued that the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority was unconstitutional, a position that added legal complexity to Enbridge's plans for the tunnel project.[15] Governor Whitmer and her administration also expressed criticism of the process that led to the tunnel agreement, noting that the outgoing Republican administration had made decisions that the incoming Democratic administration opposed.[16]

The litigation over Line 5 has continued through multiple courts. In October 2019, a Michigan judge cleared the way for Enbridge to proceed with the construction of the Line 5 tunnel, a setback for Nessel's efforts to block the project.[17] In January 2020, an appeals panel ruled that Michigan must continue to process Enbridge's Line 5 permits, further complicating the state's effort to halt the pipeline.[18]

As of February 2026, the Line 5 dispute has reached the Supreme Court of the United States. The court heard oral arguments in the case, which centers on the question of whether Enbridge was properly permitted to remove the case from state court to federal court. Nessel has continued to argue that the case should be adjudicated in Michigan state courts, where the state filed its original lawsuit seeking to revoke Enbridge's easement to operate the pipeline through the Straits.[19][20][21][22]

LGBTQ and Civil Rights

In addition to her work on environmental matters, Nessel has taken action on civil rights issues. In September 2019, a federal judge issued a ruling related to Michigan's policies on adoption by same-sex couples, a case in which Nessel's office was involved. The ruling addressed new rules concerning adoption agencies receiving state funding and their obligations not to discriminate against same-sex couples.[23]

Recent Actions (2026)

In February 2026, Nessel continued to be active in multistate legal coalitions addressing federal policy. She joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter condemning the Trump administration's proposal to dismantle water quality regulations and curtail state authority over water quality standards.[24]

Also in February 2026, Nessel joined a multistate lawsuit challenging changes to federal childhood immunization policy implemented under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Trump administration, including modifications to the childhood vaccine schedule associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in federal health policy.[25][26]

Additionally, Nessel joined in support of a lawsuit challenging a new Internal Revenue Service rule affecting tax credits for wind and solar energy projects, reflecting her continued focus on environmental and energy policy.[27]

Personal Life

Dana Nessel is openly lesbian and has been public about her identity throughout her political career. Her election as attorney general in 2018 made her the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in Michigan.[2][5] She has two children.[4]

Nessel is Jewish and is the first Jewish person to serve as Attorney General of Michigan.[5]

She resides in the Detroit metropolitan area.[4]

Recognition

Nessel's 2018 election was recognized by the Victory Fund, a national organization supporting openly LGBTQ political candidates, which highlighted her as the first out LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in Michigan and the second openly lesbian attorney general in the United States, following Maura Healey of Massachusetts.[2]

Her work on the DeBoer v. Snyder case, which contributed to the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, brought her national attention within the legal profession and the LGBTQ rights movement.[5]

Pride Source recognized Nessel's election as a milestone in LGBTQ history in Michigan, noting the significance of her victory as a reflection of changing public attitudes toward LGBTQ representation in government.[5]

Legacy

Dana Nessel's career has intersected with several major legal and political developments in the United States. Her work as co-counsel in DeBoer v. Snyder placed her at the center of one of the most consequential civil rights cases of the early 21st century. The case's consolidation into Obergefell v. Hodges and the resulting Supreme Court decision in 2015 fundamentally changed the legal landscape for same-sex couples across all 50 states.

As attorney general, Nessel has been a persistent advocate for environmental protections, particularly regarding the Line 5 pipeline. The legal dispute between Michigan and Enbridge, which Nessel has led from the state's side, has become one of the longest-running and most closely watched environmental cases in the Great Lakes region, with implications for energy infrastructure and environmental policy nationwide. The case's arrival at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2026 underscores its legal and political significance.[19][20]

Nessel's election represented a series of firsts—the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in Michigan, the first Jewish attorney general in the state, and one of the first openly lesbian attorneys general in the country.[2][5] These milestones have contributed to the broader trend of increasing representation of LGBTQ individuals in American politics at the state level.

Her tenure as attorney general has also been marked by an active engagement in multistate legal coalitions, joining with other state attorneys general on issues including environmental regulation, public health policy, and energy policy, reflecting the increasingly important role of state attorneys general in shaping national legal and policy debates.[24][25][27]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2018 General Election Results".Michigan Secretary of State.https://mielections.us/election/results/2018GEN_CENR.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Dana Nessel Becomes First Out LGBTQ Person Elected Statewide in Michigan, Second Attorney General in U.S.".Victory Fund.https://victoryfund.org/news/dana-nessel-becomes-first-out-lgbtq-person-elected-statewide-in-michigan-second-attorney-general-in-u-s/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Line 5 shutdown top priority for attorney general candidate Dana Nessel".Michigan Radio.https://www.michiganradio.org/post/line-5-shutdown-top-priority-attorney-general-candidate-dana-nessel.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Dana Nessel hopes to bring the fight to AG office".MLive.2018-10-01.https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/10/dana_nessel_hopes_to_bring_the.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 "LGBTQ History: Dana Nessel Becomes Michigan's First Openly Gay Attorney General".Pride Source.https://pridesource.com/article/lgbtq-history-dana-nessel-becomes-michigans-first-openly-gay-attorney-general/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ "State attorney general candidate says she would protect Flint citizens".NBC 25 News.https://nbc25news.com/news/local/state-attorney-general-candidate-says-she-would-protect-flint-citizens.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Nessel wins Democratic endorsement for Michigan attorney general".Detroit Free Press.2018-04-15.https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/04/15/nessel-democratic-endorsement-michigan-attorney-general/518873002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Michigan Dems make it official".MLive.2018-08-01.https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/michigan_dems_make_it_official.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ "Democratic Nominee for Attorney General Dana Nessel Joins Detroit Today".WDET.2018-10-12.https://wdet.org/posts/2018/10/12/87393-democratic-nominee-for-attorney-general-dana-nessel-joins-detroit-today/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ↑ "Election: Dana Nessel Q&A".The Oakland Press.https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/elections/election-dana-nessel-q-a/article_bb1c3670-ded6-11e8-bf9e-6bdb6b84901c.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Gretchen Whitmer inaugurated as Michigan's 49th governor".MLive.2019-01-01.https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/01/gretchen-whitmer-inaugurated-as-michigans-49th-governor.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ↑ "Whitmer sworn in as Michigan's 49th governor".The Oakland Press.https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/state/whitmer-sworn-in-as-michigan-s-th-governor/article_2d5c8188-0e00-11e9-a4dd-ff178c83cb71.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Nessel nixes state involvement in 8 federal lawsuits".The Detroit News.2019-01-31.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/01/31/nessel-nixes-state-involvement-8-federal-lawsuits/2735691002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Schuette, Nessel, Whitmer, Trump election".The Detroit News.2018-12-17.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/12/17/schuette-nessel-whitmer-trump-election/2339851002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ "Nessel: Mackinac authority unconstitutional, endangering Line 5 tunnel".The Detroit News.2019-03-28.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/28/nessel-mackinac-authority-unconstitutional-endangering-line-5-tunnel/3301993002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ↑ "Whitmer: GOP made critical mistakes on Line 5 tunnel law".The Detroit News.2019-03-11.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/11/whitmer-gop-made-critical-mistakes-line-5-tunnel-law/3129335002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ↑ "Michigan judge clears way for Enbridge to build Line 5 tunnel".The Detroit News.2019-10-31.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/10/31/michigan-judge-clears-way-enbridge-build-line-5-tunnel/4113471002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Appeals panel decision: Michigan must process Enbridge Line 5 permits".The Detroit News.2020-01-16.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/16/appeals-panel-decision-michigan-must-process-enbridge-line-5-permits/4494033002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Michigan, Enbridge battle over Line 5 pipeline before US Supreme Court".Bridge Michigan.2026-02-24.https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-enbridge-battle-over-line-5-pipeline-before-us-supreme-court/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "U.S. Supreme Court considers question on the future of Line 5".Detroit Free Press.2026-02-24.https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/24/us-supreme-court-line-5-enbridge-straits-mackinac/88841629007/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ "Michigan Line 5 dispute heads to U.S. Supreme Court on late removal filing by Enbridge".WPBN.2026-02-24.https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/michigan-line-5-dispute-heads-to-us-supreme-court-on-late-removal-filing-by-enbridge-nessel-federal-state-6th-circuit-griffin.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ↑ "Michigan Line 5 dispute reaches U.S. Supreme Court on late removal filing by Enbridge".WWMT.2026-02-24.https://wwmt.com/news/state/michigan-line-5-dispute-heads-to-us-supreme-court-on-late-removal-filing-by-enbridge-nessel-federal-state-6th-circuit-griffin.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  23. ↑ "Federal judge halts Michigan's new gay adoption rules".The Detroit News.2019-09-26.https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/09/26/federal-judge-halts-michigans-new-gay-adoption-rules/3780356002/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "AG Nessel Condemns Trump Administration's Proposal to Dismantle Water Quality Regulations and Curtail State Authority".State of Michigan.2026-02-24.https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/02/24/ag-nessel-condemns-trump-administration.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "AG Nessel Joins Multistate Lawsuit Challenging the Kennedy Vaccine Schedule and Unlawful Overhaul of Federal Childhood Immunization Policy".State of Michigan.2026-02-24.https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/02/24/ag-nessel-joins-multistate-lawsuit-challenging-the-kennedy-vaccine-schedule.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  26. ↑ "Nessel joins several states in lawsuit challenging RFK Jr. vaccine schedule, immunization policies".Michigan Advance.2026-02-24.https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/nessel-joins-several-states-in-lawsuit-challenging-rfk-jr-vaccine-schedule-immunization-policies/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Michigan joins lawsuit against IRS over wind, solar tax credits".WJRT ABC12.2026-02-24.https://www.abc12.com/news/state/michigan-joins-lawsuit-against-irs-over-wind-solar-tax-credits/article_3bf51050-c5cf-47d8-a3d2-d71b44840ad2.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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