Robert "Robbie" VanderLaan (June 4, 1930 – November 1, 2015Robert VanderLaan Obituary | MLive.com) was a former majority leader of the Michigan State Senate.The Political Graveyard: VanderLaan, Robert He began serving as majority leader in June 1970, after the resignation of incumbent Majority Leader Emil Lockwood, who was running for Michigan Secretary of State. A Republican, he ran to replace Gerald Ford as representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district in a 1974 special election, but was defeated by Democrat Richard Vander Veen. It was seen as a stunning upset; VanderLaan had previously never lost an election and the district had long been considered a Republican stronghold. He served in the Senate for 20 years in total; after retirement he joined Democrat Bobby Crim in forming a lobbying firm; he also had a career as a lawyer.Polpourri: Patrick Miles doesn't have confidence in Pelosi to 'heal the partisan divide' | MLive.com
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