Biography

Representative Peter Meijer was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He's proud to represent Western Michigan, where his family has resided for four generations. Peter's grandfather, Fred Meijer, instilled in Peter a love for West Michigan and inspired him to pursue a path of purpose and service.

Upon graduating from East Grand Rapids High School, Peter enlisted in the Army Reserves. He was deployed to Iraq as a non-commissioned officer, postponing his studies to serve with an intelligence unit at joint US-Iraqi bases in the Baghdad area. While in Iraq, Peter conducted intelligence operations to protect American and allied forces. As a sergeant, he led soldiers and missions that resulted in the detention of enemy operatives responsible for killing American soldiers.

After returning from Iraq in 2011 and finishing his undergraduate studies at Columbia University, Peter joined Team Rubicon, a veteran-based disaster response organization. With Team Rubicon, Peter led humanitarian efforts in South Sudan dealing with a refugee crisis. He also led operations in New York after Superstorm Sandy and Oklahoma after a series of devastating tornadoes.

In 2013, while in the Philippines leading a Team Rubicon response team to Super Typhoon Yolanda, Peter accepted a position with a conflict analysis NGO in Afghanistan. Peter ran the NGO's advisory operations in southern Afghanistan from Kandahar City, managing a large team to help aid workers safely provide relief to the Afghan people. Peter last served as Acting Deputy Director for Afghanistan, delivering emergency assistance to aid workers after kidnappings and targeted killings.

From Afghanistan, Peter obtained his MBA at New York University before returning to Michigan to work in urban redevelopment and real estate.

Representative Meijer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2020. He serves on the Committee on Homeland Security as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability. He also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Representative Meijer is also a proud member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group working to find common ground on many of our country’s key issues.

He resides in Grand Rapids with his wife Gabriella.