Joe Tate

Joseph Allen Tate (born December 13, 1980) is an American former professional football player and U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer who served in Afghanistan. He is currently a politician serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives since 2019, currently representing the 9th district. A member of the Democratic Party, Tate served as the 78th speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2023 to 2025. He was briefly a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan, but suspended his campaign and will instead seek re-election to the state House.

Early life

Tate was born in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of four children. His father, Coleman Sr., was a Detroit firefighter who died when Tate was an infant. His mother, Debra, was a Detroit public school teacher. Tate spent his early years in the Jefferson Chalmers and Sherwood Forest communities of Detroit. His mother later moved the family to Southfield, Michigan, where Tate attended Southfield-Lathrup High School, graduating in 1999.

Education and college football career

Tate attended Michigan State University on a football scholarship. He earned four letters at Michigan State from 2000–03 and started 29 games his last three years at left guard. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2000 and 2001, he garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media in 2003 as the Spartans went 8-4 in the regular season and played in the Alamo Bowl against Nebraska, which ended in a loss. He made his mark off the field as well during his time in East Lansing, as he also was presented MSU's Community Service and Leadership Award.

After two seasons with the NFL, Tate returned to Michigan State University to pursue a master's degree in kinesiology while serving as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant under coach Ken Mannie in 2007 and 2008.

Tate attended the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources obtaining his dual MBA/MS in 2017. He was elected to a second term in 2020. After the Democratic Party gained control of the Michigan House of Representatives in the 2022 Michigan House of Representatives elections, Tate became the first African American to be elected Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives.

Following court-mandated redistricting of the Detroit area, Tate ran in the 9th district for the 2024 election, winning reelection.