Terri Lynn Land

According to an early analysis by the Washington Post, the U.S. Senate election in Michigan was considered one of the top 10 Senate races of 2014. Land outraised Peters throughout the campaign. Her largest independent backer was Americans for Prosperity, which spent $3.6 million in support of her candidacy.

In 2014, Land gave $3 million to her own campaign, saying, "You can't ask other people to invest in you if you don't invest in yourself." In her federal financial disclosure form, she had not listed any bank accounts or other assets in her control worth that much. Her campaign said that it had mistakenly failed to disclose a joint account she had with her husband. A Detroit Free Press review of financial disclosure forms showed Land and her husband had assets worth $35 million in 2014, with $1.5 million belonging to Land, and that "candidates may typically tap liberally into joint accounts with their spouses."

In May 2014, Land gave a speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference, a three-day event that many of the state's top business and civic leaders attend, which she read from notes. Following her speech, Land was swarmed by reporters and, unable to articulate a response to a question, pushed their microphones away, saying, "I can't do this."

On June 3, 2013 Land announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2014. She ran unopposed in the primary and faced Democratic congressman Gary Peters in the general election.

After exploring a bid for Michigan governor in 2010, Land decided not to run in June 2009, instead endorsing Mike Bouchard. She ran for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Bouchard the following year, but lost in the Republican primary.

In 2006, she was elected to a second term, defeating Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh 56%-42%. After serving two terms, the maximum allowed in the state, she was succeeded by Republican Ruth Johnson.

Secretary Land led the charge to consolidate Michigan's elections, which saved money, reduced confusion, and helped eliminate 'stealth elections'. Staying ahead of the work required by the Help America Vote Act, Land also selected a single style voting machine to be implemented statewide with funding from the federal government. In 2005, Land's office announced an effort to use the Help America Vote Act to reduce potential voter fraud by removing names of voters who had died, moved out of Michigan, or changed their names. A New York Times investigation found that 33,000 people were removed from the rolls, while Land's office said 11,000 voters were removed. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) took Michigan to court over the removal of voter names. The New York Times pointed out that "the problems were not unique to Michigan, and that states with Republican and Democratic election officials had struggled to interpret new federal laws, such as the Help America Vote Act." In October 2008, a federal judge ruled that the national Voting Rights Act had been violated and six states, including Michigan, were ordered to stop removing names from voter rolls. A spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office told the Detroit Free Press that, "If you're eligible to vote, you will be able to cast a vote on Election Day". Furthermore, Land spearheaded several outreach initiatives that increased voter participation, including touring all university campuses to offer registration opportunities, which caused unprecedented voter turnout rates in 2004, 2006, and 2008.

In 2002, Land became Michigan's 41st Secretary of State, defeating Melvin Hollowell, a Detroit-based attorney, 55%-43% and took office on January 1, 2003. Land and her husband contributed more than $1.9 million of their own money in the 2002 and 2006 Secretary of State campaigns.

In 2000, with Gov. John Engler's encouragement, Land ran unsuccessfully for the Michigan State Board of Education.

From 1992–2000, she was the elected Clerk of Kent County, the fourth largest county of Michigan.

Land married Dan Hibma in 1983. They live in Byron Center and have two children, Jessica and Nicholas.

In 1980, at age 22, Land joined the Grandville Planning Commission. At age 23, Land ran for the Michigan House of Representatives, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Democrat Jelt Sietsema.

Land was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The granddaughter of immigrants from the Netherlands, Land grew up changing sheets and mowing grass for her grandparents' family motel business. Land grew up in Grandville, Michigan, graduating from Grandville High School. In 1976, she attended the Republican National Convention, where she shook Gerald Ford's hand. Land was one of the youngest attendees at the 1978 Republican state convention. She worked her way through college as she attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in political science. In 2009, Land was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Davenport University, "in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to the community."

Terri Lynn Land (born June 30, 1958) is an American politician who served as Michigan's 41st Secretary of State. In 2012, Land was elected to the Republican National Committee. She was the Republican nominee for the 2014 United States Senate race in Michigan, losing in the general election to Democrat Gary Peters.