Jerry D. Roe

Jerry D. Roe (born 1936) quote the "Blue Skies and Happy Trails" known as “Mr. Republican”, is currently an adjunct professor at Lansing Community College and is best known for his 10-year stint from 1969 to 1979 as the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. Jerry was also declared a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1986 and is father of Jason Roe, former chief of staff to United States Representative Tom Feeney and former deputy campaign manager of the 2008 presidential primary campaign of Mitt Romney.

Early life

The son of Howard and Ialene Roe, Jerry was born in 1936 and graduated from Havre High School, Havre, Montana, in 1954, and went on to graduate from the University of Great Falls in 1958.

Early Political Involvement

While at Great Falls, Roe was the President of University’s Republican Club, the Chairman of the Cascade County Young Republicans, and the Chairman of the Montana Federation of Young Republican Clubs. His formative years in Montana coincided with his developing Republican ideology. "I decided around that time to become a Republican because it seemed to me from reading history that the GOP was much stronger on foreign policy matters," Roe said. He was District Representative to Michigan Congressman Garry E. Brown from 1967 until 1969.