fives

PHOTO BY GLENN fR IEST

f David Honigman were a cat, he would be on
about his eighth life.
As a candidate for state representative and
then state senator, he survived election bat-
tles to capture and then hold onto his seat.
As a politician, he faced down opposition in
order to push for the concerns of his con-
stituency and make laws for the welfare of
the citizens.
But last year, after a long battle with
health problems, the senator retired from
office to recuperate. Although he has begun

to write a book, he hopes one day to return to
public service.
"If I became healthier, I would run again,"
Mr. Honigman said. "I really thrived in that
job."
Mr. Honigman's desire to hold public of-

After winning political and
health battles, David
Honigman tries his
hand at writing.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

/— -

/—

David Honigman in his campaigning days.

fice began as a small child. Growing
up in the 1960s, he was inspired by
the efforts of Robert and John
Kennedy and Martin Luther King
Jr.
"They caught my attention," he
said. "After that, I wanted to serve
in office."
His grandmother, Edith Honig-
man ofBeverly Hills, said she no-
ticed his interest in politics at an
early age.
"Even as a little boy, he knew he
wanted to go into law and then pol-
itics so he could do the most good for
the most people," Ms. Honigman re-
called. "I always told him he was too
pure of heart to go into politics."
But service was a long way off. Af-
ter graduating from Detroit Coun-
try Day, he attended Yale University
where he earned a degree in philos-
ophy. He finished his formal educa-
tion at the University of Michigan
Law School.
His first job out of law school was
with his grandfather's law office,
Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and
Cohn. Although the firm is known
for its work in the corporate arena,
young Honigman was interested in
joining the firm to be with his grand-
father, founding partner Jason
Honigman.
"I was very close to my grandfa-
ther. He was a sweet man," Mr.
Honigman said.
Despite the firm's reputation as a
corporate powerhouse, Mr. Honig-
man became involved in civil rights
and criminal cases.
"I did a lot of pro bono," he said,
quipping that the firm continues to
make campaign donations because
"they don't want me to come back
and give away all my time."
Twelve years ago, he left the firm
to pursue his dream.

With a lot of support from friends and fam-
ily but little experience, Mr. Honigman hit the
campaign trail.
"The only campaigning I had done before
was when my high school wrestling coach ran
for office," he said. "I guess we were fueled by
our naivete and our innocence."
His enthusiasm helped him beat the in-
cumbent in the primary and eventually grab
his first public office as a state representative.
After his third term, he won the title of state
senator, one of two times he would hold that
position.
As an elected official, Mr. Honigman was
proud of the depth and breadth of the legisla-
tion he helped to author or pass. From envi-
ronment to education to ethnic intimidation,
Mr. Honigman was instrumental in making
law as a senator, said Marc Shulman, a West
Bloomfield Township trustee.
"David's door as a representative, as a sen-
ator and even now has always been open, and
he has always made himself accessible to every-
one regardless of that person's social or eco-
nomic status in life," Mr. Shulman said. "David
has always been so idealistic. I have never met
a person who has more integrity and has al-
ways been ready to put into action his idealis-
tic beliefs."
But in his last term, Mr. Honigman became

ill.

As a child, he had been diagnosed with a
rare intestinal malformation which causes the
intestines to retract, sort of like a collapsing
telescope. A surgery as an adolescent correct-
ed the problem, but over the years a vast
amount of scar tissue formed. That tissue slow-
ly strangled his intestines, making him vul-
nerable to life-threatening intestinal blockages.
Three years ago, Mr. Honigman underwent
three 15-hour surgeries in one week to correct
the problem. Surgeons finally removed all but
10 percent of his small intestine, which resulted
in a diminished capacity to absorb nutrients.
Back problems also plagued the young sen-
ator. As a wrestler in high school and later the
captain ofYale's judo team, Honigman endured
a great many blows to his back, causing more
damage. Three back surgeries to correct the
problem left him with fused vertebra and the
inability to sit for any length of time.
"When the surgeons opened me up, they
said they had never seen so much scar tissue
in anyone," Mr. Honigman said.
He returned to full service after the six surg-
eries but was constantly plagued by infections.
With three years left in his second term as sen-
ator, Mr. Honigman retired.
"It was very hard to leave," he said.
He returned to his West Bloomfield home
to recuperate. There, he enjoys the company
of his wife, Joann, and his cats, Lucy and
Chester Lemon.
He has redirected his incessant energy and
is authoring a political murder mystery.
"I have always liked writing and I thought
this would be a good way to use my time," he
said. ❑

