Fiona Clarke

Fiona Rose Clarke (née Bloom; born February 17, 1969) is an American politician who has served as Governor of Michigan since 2017. She previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2017, and x|Michigan Auditor General from 2005 to 2011. Clarke is the first female Governor of Michigan, and is a member of the x|Democratic Party.

Born to a working-class family in x|Mount Clemens, Michigan, Clarke received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the x|DePaul University and a master's degree from the x|University of Michigan. She worked as an accountant in the private sector for several years before being elected as x|Michigan Auditor General in 2005. She was selected as x|Lieutenant Governor of Michigan by John Kendrickson, and served as such from 2011 until 2017, when Kendrickson resigned to become President of the United States. She succeeded him as governor, becoming the first female Governor of Michigan.

Early life and education
Clarke was born to a working-class family in suburban x|Mount Clemens, Michigan, a suburb of x|Detroit. Her parents, Richard and Denise Bloom, were devout x|Catholics and both members of the x|Republican Party. Richard was of English, Irish, and Scottish descent, and worked as a history teacher at x|Regina High School, an all-girl's Catholic high school. Denise, of Czech heritage, worked at a public library. Clarke was raised with an elder brother, Simon, and a younger sister, Theresa.

Clarke and her siblings attended public elementary and junior high schools in Mount Clemens. For high school, Clarke enrolled at Regina High School, the school that her father taught at. Theresa attended the school as well, while Simon attended x|De La Salle Collegiate High School. Clarke graduated from high school in 1987, and went on to move to x|Chicago in order to attend x|DePaul University. She graduated with a degree in accounting in 1991. After graduating, Clarke returned to Michigan and enrolled in the x|University of Michigan. She earned a master's degree in accounting in 1993. Clarke then began working as an accountant in the private sector.

Michigan Auditor General
Clarke began her political career in 2004, after announcing her campaign for x|Michigan Auditor General. Clarke ran unopposed in the election, and was elected into the position. She was reelected in 2008, but did not complete her term. She left the position in 2011, after being selected to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan.

Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In 2010, Clarke was chosen by John Kendrickson as his Lieutenant Governor. Later that year, they were elected in the general election. Kendrickson and Clarke were sworn in as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on January 1, 2011. They were reelected in 2014, but did not finish their term. She officially succeeded Kendrickson as Governor of Michigan on January 20, 2017.

Governor of Michigan
After Kendrickson won the 2016 United States presidential election, Clarke become poised to succeed him as governor in order to complete his term. She ascended to the position of Governor of Michigan on January 20, 2017. She appointed Elisha Springfield as her Lieutenant Governor.

Personal life
Clarke met law student Gary Clarke in 1992, while they were both students at the x|University of Michigan. They soon began dating, and eventually married in 1997. They have two daughters together; Stella Lou (born December 13, 1999) and Raquel Marina (born October 12, 2001). Up until the beginning of Clarke's political career, the family resided in x|Ann Arbor, Michigan. They moved into a private residence in x|East Lansing, Michigan in 2004, and moved into the x|Michigan Governor's Mansion in 2017. Clarke continues to work at and own a law firm in Ann Arbor.

Clarke was raised a conservative x|Republican. She has stated that she abandoned the political party and began to identify more as a x|Democrat during her early teens, and has always been a registered Democrat. She was raised a x|Roman Catholic, and still identifies with the religion, although she doesn't take it as seriously as she once did. She has come forward stating that her parent's do not support her in her political career due to their differences in political beliefs.