Winnie has proudly represented West Michigan residents in the state legislature since 2012. She is now the first Democrat to serve as Senate majority leader in 40 years, and is the first-ever woman to hold the position.
She is a fighter who doesn’t shy away from tough issues and has gained the respect of voters across the political spectrum as a hardworking, honest, and accessible public servant.
Growing up on a dairy farm as the daughter of Dutch immigrants, Winnie learned at a young age what hard work meant. After losing her father at the age of six, she watched her mother raise five children and run the family’s farm — setting an example for resilience and determination that Winnie has carried with her to this day.
She and her husband, Steve, who has taught Spanish in both Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than twenty-five years, made a commitment to demonstrate to their three daughters, Olivia, Annalise, and Emma, what it means to serve others and give back to their community.
Before running for state representative, Winnie worked as a caseworker at The Source where she helped folks tackle the challenges that prevented their success at work, while helping companies grow and retain employees. She has also served as the executive director of a community-based corrections agency and as a school paraprofessional at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools. As a previous PTA Member of the Year, Winnie is known by her neighbors to go above and beyond for her community.
Winnie answered a new call to public service when she ran for and won election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2012. As state representative for three terms, Winnie worked to ensure every child had access to a world-class education, fought to end abuse and neglect at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and led the fight to protect West Michigan’s drinking water.
West Michigan residents elected Winnie to the State Senate in 2018, where she became the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the state Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton, who was the first woman elected to the Michigan Senate in 1920. Following in Eva’s tradition of “firsts,” Winnie was elected by her peers to serve as Senate Majority Leader, the first woman to ever hold the position, and the first
