2009 in Michigan

The top news stories in Michigan included:

• The 2008–2010 automotive industry crisis with General Motors Corporation and Chrysler going through bankruptcy and reorgazing as new companies, all as a condition to additional federal financial aid;
• Michigan's unemployment rate leading the nation, reaching 15.3% in September;
• Indictment and resignation of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the election of Dave Bing To replace him;
• The attempted underwear bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by Al-Qaeda follower Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab;
• The closure of The Ann Arbor News.

Top sports stories included:

• The 2008–09Detroit Red Wings advncing to the Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers;
• The 2008–09 Michigan State Spartans basketball team advancing to the NCAA championship game where they lost to North Carolina;
• The deaths of Detroit sports legends George Kell, Mark Fidrych and Chuck Daly.

Other notable Michigan-related deaths i 2009 included Robert McNamara, John Hugnes, and Soupy Sales.

• Governor of Michigan - Jennifer Granholm (Democrat)
• Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: John D. Cherry (Democrat)
• Michigan Attorney General - Mike Cox (Republican)
• Michigan Secretary of State - Terri Lynn Land (Republican)
• Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Andy Dillon (Democrat)
• Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: Mike Bishop (Republican)
• Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: Marilyn Jean Kelly

• U.S. Senator from Michigan - Carl Levin (Democrat)
• U.S. Senator from Michigan - Debbie Stabenow (Democrat)
• House District 1: Bart Stupak (Democrat)
• House District 2: Pete Hoekstra (Republican)
• House District 3: Vern Ehlers (Republican)
• House District 4: Dave Camp (Republican)
• House District 5: Dale Kildee (Democrat)
• House District 6: Fred Upton (Republican)
• House District 7: Tim Walberg (Republican)
• House District 8: Mike Rogers (Republican)
• House District 9: Gary Peters (Democrat)
• House District 10: Candice Miller (Republican)
• House District 11: Thaddeus McCotter (Republican)
• House District 12: Sander Levin (Democrat)
• House District 13: Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Democrat)
• House District 14: John Conyers (Democrat)
• House District 15: John Dingell (Democrat)

• Mayor of Detroit: - Dave Bing (Democrat)
• Mayor of Grand Rapids: - George Heartwell
• Mayor of Ann Arbor: John Hieftje (Democrat)
• Mayor of Lansing: Virgil Bernero
• Mayor of Flint: Dayne Walling
• Mayor of Saginaw: Greg Branch

• 2009 Detroit Tigers season - In their fourth year under manager Jim Leyland, the Tigers compiled an 86–77 record. Miguel Cabrera led the team with a .324 batting average, 34 home runs, and 103 RBIs. Justin Verlander compiled a 19–9 record with a 3.45 earned run average and 269 strikeouts.^[1]

• 2009 Detroit Lions season - In their first season under head coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions compiled a 2–14 record.
• 2009 Michigan State Spartans football team - In their third season under head coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans compiled a 6–7 record.^[2]
• 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team - In their second season under head coach Rich Rodriguez, the Wolverines compiled a 5–7 record. Brandon Graham was selected as the team's most valuable player. Brandon Minor and Tate Forcier were the team's leading rusher and passer, respectively.

• 2008–09 Detroit Pistons season - Led by head coach Michael Curry, the Pistons compiled a 39–43 record.^[3]
• 2009 Detroit Shock season - Led by head coaches Bill Laimbeer (first four games) and Rick Mahorn (remaining 30 games), the Shock compiled an 18–16 record.
• 2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team - In their 14the season under head coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans compiled a 31–7, won the Big Ten regular season championship, and lost to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game.
• 2008–09 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team - In their second season under head coach John Beilein, the Wolverines compiled a 21–14 record and advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament
• 2008–09 Michigan State Spartans women's basketball team - The Spartans advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

• 2008–09 Detroit Red Wings season - In their fourth season under head coach Mike Babcock, the Red Wings compiled a 51–21–10 record and advanced to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers.^[4]
• 2008–09 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season - Led by head coach Red Berenson, the Red Wings compiled a 28–10–0 record. Louie Caporusso led the team with 22 goals.

• 2009 Carfax 400
• 2009 LifeLock 400

• May 5 - The 2009 Detroit mayoral special election was scheduled when Kwame Kilpatrick resigned after being indicted for obstruction of justice. Dave Bing won with 51.7% of the votes, defeating Kenneth Cockrel Jr. with 47.2%.

• November 3 - In the 2009 Detroit mayoral election, Dave Bing received 56.2% of the votes to defeat Tom Barrow with 40.7%.
• November 16 - Murder of Jamar Pinkney Jr.: Jamar Pinkney Sr. murdered his 15-year-old son, Jamar Pinkney Jr. in an execution-style shooting in Detroit. Pinkney Sr. said that Pinkney Jr. had admitted to sexually assaulting his thre-year old half-sister before he assaulted him, forced him to take off his clothes, marched him down the street while naked to a vacant lot, forced him to kneel and shot him in the head.

• December 25 - Al-Qaeda member Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it approached to Detroit from. He sought to detonated chemical explosives sewn into his underwear. While a small explosion and fire occurred, the exposive device failed to detonate properly.^[5][6][7] He was arraigned on January 8.^[8]