Bishop served on the Municipal Law and Business Law committees of the Oakland County Bar Association and is a member of the National Association of Sportsmen Legislators. Following his time in the Michigan Legislature, Bishop worked as chief legal officer for International Bancard Corporation and taught at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.[4] Prior to his election in the 45th District, Bishop unsuccessfully campaigned for a University of Michigan Board of Regents position in 1996.[5]
Bishop served in the Michigan State House from 1999 to 2002 representing the 45th District, which covered much of the same territory where his father, Donald Bishop, had served.[5] During his four-year tenure in the Michigan House, he served as vice chairman of the Commerce Committee.[6]
Michigan Senate
Bishop was elected to the State Senate in 2002 to represent the 12th district, a seat which had previously been held by his father. He served until term limits prevented him from seeking re-election in 2010.[7] Before his time as majority leader, Bishop was chosen to be chairman of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee[3] and vice chairman of both the Gaming and Casino Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee.[citation needed]
Bishop was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007-2010.
At the State Republican Party Convention in 2010, Bishop unsuccessfully bid for the Republican nomination for state attorney general.[8] He ran for Oakland County prosecutor in 2012, but lost to Democratic incumbent Jessica R. Cooper.[9][10]
Bishop successfully ran for re-election in 2016. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Two Democrats, actress Melissa Gilbert and Linda Keefe, filed to run in the Democratic primary election. Gilbert later withdrew.[13] Gilbert was replaced with Democratic challenger Suzanna Shkreli late in the race in July, 2016.[14]
When Bishop was Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate, a bill to create the Gordie Howe International Bridge as a companion to the Ambassador Bridge came to him for determination to put it to the Senate floor for a vote. Corporate interests were strongly in favor of the bill, which would partner with Canada to pay for the bridge. Bishop opposed the bridge and did not bring the legislation to a floor vote, saying there were "too many outstanding legal issues and the legislation is too important to push a lame-duck vote."[25] Bishop had received campaign donations from Manuel Moroun, owner of the rival Ambassador Bridge.[26] Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, found another way to make the deal and the project continued without Bishop's support.[27]
Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives he vowed to vote to block the Gordie Howe International bridge. The Livingston Daily reported "A proposal for the federal government to fund a U.S. customs center has stalled. If elected, Bishop said he wouldn't support federal funding of the customs center."[26]
