Mike Frerichs was born and raised in the small farming community of Gifford, Illinois. His father was a truck driver and his mother was a university secretary. He graduated from Rantoul Township High School and four years later he graduated from Yale University. Mike returned home with a desire to serve his community. He taught at his alma mater Rantoul Township High School and managed a local safety engineering company, Smart Structures. Later he was elected twice to the Champaign County Board and spent more than four years as Champaign County Auditor, where he became a Certified Public Finance Officer, the only elected Auditor to receive that designation in the state. Mike also served as a volunteer firefighter and on the board of a local nursing home.

Mike Frerichs was elected to the General Assembly in 2006. Since being elected Mike Frerichs has stood tall for the 52nd district. He championed a $30 billion capital improvement plan to fund road and infrastructure improvements in Champaign and Vermilion Counties. As Chairman of the Agricultural Committee, he has provided financial assistance to farmers and advocated for alternative fuels. As Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee, Frerichs has funded improvements at the University of Illinois, Parkland College and Danville Community College while fighting to reduce Illinois' disparities in education funding. He currently resides in Champaign with his wife Laura and his daughter Ella.