Pleasant before winning election to the state House in 2010.
After serving as chair of the House Judiciary Committee and vice chair of the Elections and Ethics Committee, in November 2014 he was selected by the Republican caucus to serve as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives for the 2015-16 legislative session.
[3][4] On September 8, 2016, a federal lawsuit was filed against Representative Cotter (and numerous other defendants) by former State Representative Todd Courser.
[3][5] Cotter is a graduate of Shepherd High School and holds a bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration, as well as a Master's of Science in Administration, both from Central Michigan University.
He also earned a Juris Doctor degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.