David Edward Bonior (born June 6, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American politician, former university teacher, and former U.S. Representative from Michigan. He grew up in the Detroit area, graduating from Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, Michigan, in 1963. Bonior earned a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1967 and an M.A. from Chapman College in 1972. He served in the United States Air Force from 1968 to 1972 and worked briefly as a probation officer. A Catholic of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry through his parents Irene (Gavreluk) and Edward Bonior, he is married to Judy. Bonior entered politics as a Democrat, serving in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1973 to 1977 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, representing Michigan's 12th and later 9th congressional districts until 2003. He rose to prominence as House Democratic Whip, serving as Majority Whip from 1991 to 1995 and Minority Whip from 1995 to 2002, making him the second- or third-highest-ranking Democrat in the House. Known as a vocal critic of Republican ethics and policies, he focused on labor rights, environmental issues, and opposition to free trade agreements like NAFTA. After declining to seek reelection in 2002 and an unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Michigan, he joined the faculty at Wayne State University and was appointed to Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board in 2008.