Karl Bohnak is a Republican representative for Michigan's 109th House District, which includes Alger, Baraga, Marquette, and parts of Dickinson counties in the Upper Peninsula, encompassing cities like Marquette, Ishpeming, Negaunee, Munising, and Norway. Elected on November 5, 2024, by defeating incumbent Jenn Hill, he became the first Republican to represent Marquette County in the State House since 1955 and was sworn in on December 11, 2024, ahead of the January 2025 session. A former chief meteorologist at WLUC-TV6 in Marquette for nearly 40 years and author on Upper Peninsula weather and history, Bohnak announced his candidacy on December 29, 2023, won the Republican primary on August 6, 2024, and advocates for local land use control, parental input in education, opposition to wind/solar mandates, constitutional carry, and support for first responders.

Notable achievements include serving as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Economic Competitiveness and membership on the Natural Resources and Tourism, Health Policy, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees, with a focus on pragmatic energy policy, reliable power, and bipartisan solutions for the region's economy and natural resources.

Education and Political Experience

Specific details on formal education are not detailed in available records. Bohnak's professional experience includes a long career as chief meteorologist at WLUC-TV6 and WZMQ-TV in Marquette, plus regional radio stations, driven by a lifelong passion for weather and snow that brought him to the Upper Peninsula nearly 40 years ago; he is also an author.

In politics, this is his first elected office, serving since January 2025 as a state representative for one term so far .