Margaret O'Brien

Margaret O'Brien (born November 20, 1973) is a former member of the Michigan Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, she represented a district based in Kalamazoo. Early life O'Brien was born in Kalamazoo County to Richard and Katheleen (Crawford) Wilson. Her childhood was spent on dairy farms with her three brothers, first in Pavilion Township and then in Texas Township. She attended Fulton and Indian Lake Elementary Schools in Vicksburg and graduated in 1991 from Mattawan High School, where she excelled in track and field and cross country. The women's track record for the 3200-meter relay, set in 1991, is still held by O'Brien and her teammates. She earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University. From 1995 to 2003, O'Brien was a social worker with Catholic Family Services. She then worked as a real estate agent at RE/MAX and served on the City Council of Portage, Michigan, from 2003 to 2010. She lives in Portage with her husband and four children.