Laurie Pohutsky (née Tennant;born April 28,1988) is an American politician from Michigan. Pohutsky is the Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 17th district.
Pohutsky was born Laurie Tennant in Livonia,Michigan. She grew up in Redford,Michigan. [1] Between 2006 and 2010 she attended Michigan State University,graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. [2] Pohutsky then worked as a laboratory technician for several companies in fields involving food safety,toxicology and health care. [3]
In 2018,Pohutsky successfully ran as a Democrat for the Michigan House of Representatives for District 19,narrowly defeating Republican candidate Brian Meakin. [4] [2] [3] In the 2020 election Pohutsky was reelected,once again by a narrow margin. [5]
During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries,she endorsed Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for President of the United States. [6]
During the 2022 Michigan House of Representatives election,Pohutsky ran to represent District 17,defeating opponent Penny Crider in a landslide. She was subsequently appointed speaker pro tempore of the Michigan House. [7]
Pohutsky is openly bisexual. [9] In February 2025,she revealed she had undergone sterilization in the prior month,saying "I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate". [10] Pohutsky was a sponsor of the legislation passed in April 2023 that repealed the 1931 criminalization of abortion in Michigan. [11]