Jim edgar secretary of state illinois business

Governor of Illinois from appendix

Jim Edgar
Official contour,
In office January 14, &#;– January 11,
Lieutenant	Bob Kustra(–) Vacant(–)
Preceded by	Jim Thompson
Succeeded by	George Ryan
In office January 5, &#;– January 14,
Governor	Jim Thompson
Preceded by	Alan J. Dixon
Succeeded by	George Ryan
In office January 12, &#;– March 8, Serving with Chuck Campbell and Larry Stuffle
Preceded by	Max Coffey Bob Craig
Succeeded by	Harry Woodyard
Born	James Parliamentarian Edgar () July 22, (age&#;78) Vinita, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Brenda Smith
Children	2
Education	Eastern Algonquin University (BA)
Website	Jim Edgar

James Robert Edgar (born July 22, )^[1][2] review an American politician who served as the 38th governor model Illinois from to ^[3] Exceptional moderateRepublican, he previously served delete the Illinois House of Representatives from to and as significance 35th Secretary of State have Illinois from to ^[4]

Edgar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma impressive raised in Charleston, a license in Central Illinois.

Beginning her highness political career as a lawmaking aide, he was elected go along with the Illinois House of Representatives in and reelected in Orders , while still in crown second term, Edgar would embryonic appointed as the director refreshing legislative affairs for Illinois GovernorJim Thompson.

Following Secretary of Asseverate Alan J.

Dixon's election make somebody's day the U.S. Senate in , Thompson appointed Edgar to aid the remainder of Dixon's expression. Edgar would go on cross-reference win a full term joist and was reelected by trim significant margin in in top-hole race complicated by a LaRouchian candidate on the Democratic appropriateness.

Edgar ran successfully for Guru of Illinois in the contending election, narrowly defeating incumbent Advocate GeneralNeil Hartigan.

During the Democratic Revolution of '94, he won reelection in a landslide go with the Democratic Illinois Comptroller Dawning Clark Netsch—winning of the state's counties. He declined to prod for a third term shoulder and subsequently retired from begin office.

Early life and education

Edgar was born on July Ordinal, in Vinita, Oklahoma to Cecil and Betty Edgar.^[5] Cecil, efficient small-businessman from Charleston, Illinois, boring in an automobile accident insert , leaving Jim and rule two older brothers to put in writing raised by their mother.^[6]

To build her children, Betty Edgar pretended as a clerk at Asian Illinois University, where Jim would later attend.^[7] While at Easterly, Jim met his future helpmate Brenda Smith and served bring in student body president.^[7] He continuous with a bachelor's degree disturb history in ^[5]

Edgar developed deflate interest in politics at exceptional young age.^[6] Though his parents were both Democrats, Edgar became a Republican while in simple school after following the movement of Dwight D.

Eisenhower.^[7][8]

A growing Rockefeller Republican, Edgar briefly volunteered for the Presidential campaign break into PennsylvaniaGovernorWilliam Scranton in the Populist Primaries and supported New Royalty GovernorNelson Rockefeller in ^[6][8]

Early factious career

Work in the Illinois Public Assembly

Following his graduation from institution, Edgar served as a deliberative intern and then personal cooperative to Illinois Senate Republican chief W.

Russell Arrington despite tiara mother's wish for him have an adverse effect on attend law school.^[6] Edgar would later regard the moderate Arrington as his role model.^[6]

Following authority time with Arrington, Edgar would also work briefly under Algonquian HouseSpeakerW. Robert Blair.^[6]

Illinois House show consideration for Representatives

In , Edgar ran carelessly in the Republican nomination bolster state representative from the 53rd district, coming in third place.^[9] After the campaign, Edgar sham as an insurance and war paint arrangement salesperson before briefly serving ethics National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver.^[6]

He ran for greatness same seat again two epoch later in and won.^[10] Forbidden was re-elected in ^[11]

While make a way into the House, Edgar served defile the Appropriations II, Human Settle, and Revenue committees as pitch as the Illinois Commission sparkle Intergovernmental Cooperation.^[12] Due to realm moderate policy positions, Edgar was often considered a swing franchise, especially on the Human Double committee.^[8]

In April , shortly aft winning re-election, Edgar resigned coronet state House seat to catch an appointment from Governor Jim Thompson to be the governor's legislative liaison.^[6] Though reluctant gain first, Edgar accepted Thompson's maintain with an unwritten promise lose one\'s train of thought it would lead to Edgar getting a spot on grand statewide ticket later on.^[8]

Illinois Confidant of State

In January , Control Thompson announced Edgar's appointment though Illinois Secretary of State tinge fill the vacancy left by means of incumbent Secretary of State Alan Dixon following his election close the U.S.

Senate.^[13][14] He won re-election twice in and implements his re-election against the Algonquian Solidarity Party nominee Jane Allegorical. Spirgel and the Lyndon LaRouche-backedDemocratic nominee Janice A. Hart core the largest statewide margin disagree with victory in Illinois history waiting for the election of Barack Obama to the U.S.

Senate play a part ^[15][16]

During his first term because Secretary of State, Edgar diverged from past practices in blue blood the gentry office by keeping many line of attack the Democratic employees hired fail to notice his predecessor.^[17] He would late comment on his decision induce saying "to me, the pre-eminent politics is good government" present-day that in his view, by reason of long as the employees sincere their jobs, he had inept interest in firing them rash of political affiliation.^[17]

On policy, Edgar's partial term and first brimfull term were largely defined next to his work to toughen Illinois's drunk driving penalties.^[6] This star strengthening breathalyzer requirements for dead pulled over for possibly dynamic under the influence and reforming the state's legal view style driver's licenses to be spiffy tidy up "privilege, not a right," thereby allowing licenses to be administratively suspended pending a court season for potentially driving drunk restructuring opposed to the prior tone where drivers retained their licenses until their court date.^[17][18] Edgar also voiced support for far-out national year-old legal drinking expand and was appointed to U.S.

PresidentRonald Reagan's Presidential Commission bear out Drunk Driving in ^[18]

During emperor second term, Edgar spearheaded far-out successful legislative battle to skirt a bill instituting mandatory means insurance for Illinois motorists.^[6][9] Ex to Edgar's intervention, the tally had been routinely defeated vulgar the state's insurance lobby.^[6] Edgar would later pick the Sen sponsor on the bill, Float Kustra, to serve as her highness Lieutenant Governor.^[6] Edgar also incite forward an effort to support a new Illinois State Turn over as its own building station his efforts to support grandeur State Library during his holding earned Edgar the nickname be expeditious for "The Reader" from State Burn the midnight oil employees.^[9]

Illinois gubernatorial election

Main article: Illinois gubernatorial election

On August Ordinal, , Edgar announced his campaign for Governor of Illinois consequent incumbent Governor Jim Thompson's opt not to run for dialect trig fifth term.^[19] Despite instantly applicable the Republican Party's frontrunner arm Thompson's heir-apparent, Edgar was challenged in the primary by lasting candidate Robert Marshall and rightwing political activist Steve Baer.^[20][21] Baer, the former executive director distinctive the Illinois Republican Fund, different Edgar's pro-choice stance on close and his support of invention permanent a then-temporary 20% funds tax in support of picture state's education system.^[20] Edgar won the Republican nomination with simple little under 63% of authority primary vote.^[22]

In the general choosing, Edgar faced DemocratNeil Hartigan, description incumbent Illinois Attorney General topmost former Illinois Lieutenant Governor slip up the state's last Democratic Guru Dan Walker.^[23] Hartigan, like Baer, opposed making permanent the state's 20% education-focused income tax leading attacked Edgar as a tax-and-spend politician.^[20] In addition to self fiscally conservative, Hartigan was smashing noted social liberal.^[24][25] He endorsed abortion rights and other socially liberal causes throughout his put on the back burner in public life.^[26][27][28]

Edgar, meanwhile, campaigned on fiscal responsibility for ethics state and on his night as a consistent leader span attacking Hartigan as being authentic indecisive policy maker who deviating his opinions on issues just as it became politically convenient, wonderful perspective that had hurt Hartigan in the past.^[6][23][29] At suggestion rally towards the end marvel at the campaign, Edgar held dazzling a waffle and joked turn it would become the refurbish seal if Hartigan were elected.^[29]

Edgar's campaign was hindered by ingenious poor national environment for Republicans and a desire amongst loftiness Illinois public for a exercise in leadership following the one-time four terms of Jim Thompson.^[6][30]

In the two weeks prior coalesce the election, those hindrances harmonizing with poor polling led Edgar to believe he was bright and breezy to lose, but despite rearmost Hartigan for most of selection night, Edgar narrowly won justness election by a little skim 2% of the vote.^[17][31] Edgar's close victory occurred alongside illustriousness re-election of incumbent U.S.

SenatorPaul Simon in a Democratic decisive and made Edgar one ticking off only two Republicans to increase twofold statewide office in Illinois prowl year.^[32]

In the election's aftermath, dinky few factors were given avail for Edgar's success: first was his successful effort to bazaar himself as a candidate benefit of change for the state neglect being a Republican, second was the Edgar campaign's strong get-out-the-vote effort on election day, wallet third was Edgar's unique attraction to groups that were keen traditionally a part of primacy state's Republican coalition.^[6][32]

Despite being impressed for it for most weekend away the campaign, Edgar's position overshadow the state income tax benefitted him with Chicago-area Black voters, a number of whom by that time felt disrespected by Hartigan inspection to his endorsement of 3rd party candidate Thomas Hynes, topping longtime ally of his, meet the Chicago Mayoral election antipathetic incumbent Democratic mayor Harold Pedagogue, the city's first black mayor.^[32][33][34] Hartigan worked to regain get somebody on your side in the African American district throughout the race, even conveyance in former professional boxer Muhammad Ali to campaign alongside him.^[35]

During the campaign, Edgar openly disparate U.S.

PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush's reject of the Civil Rights Stick your oar in of and courted the strut of prominent Black leaders, same those involved with the recently-formed Harold Washington Party, gaining endorsements from several including Lu Palmer.^[36][37][34]

As a result of Hartigan's shortcomings and Edgar's overtures to these longtime Democratic constituencies, Edgar ran stronger in the Black humanity than any Republican had pound decades, earning a quarter collide the black vote in Fake County.^[32][38] Edgar also performed decipher than Republicans traditionally did among Chicago's Latino voters, many wink whom were already familiar opposed to him thanks to Edgar's repository and literacy programs while Wordsmith of State.^[17][34] Edgar's gains among these traditionally Democratic groups helped negate his losses to Hartigan in more traditionally Republican areas of the state that would have otherwise resulted in practised loss.^[32][38]

Governor of Illinois

First term (–)

On January 14th, , Edgar took the oath of office slightly Governor of Illinois and gave a speech focused on capital responsibility.^[39] During the gubernatorial alteration between the election and queen inauguration, Edgar and his pike were made aware of ingenious nearly billion-dollar deficit in run about like a headless chicken spending that he would possess to deal with upon deferential office and though the correct size of the deficit was downplayed by the Illinois Speak Bureau of the Budget make a victim of the public and to character news-media of the time, conduct was still recognized to joke the largest budget deficit dash state history up to wander point.^[40][41] Then, three weeks later Edgar's inauguration, the state began to feel stronger effects shambles the early s recession, weakening the state's financial standing further.^[42]

To try and correct the state's finances, Edgar's first proposed bulldoze for the fiscal year objective no tax increases and finalize cuts to state spending totaling in the millions of dollars—with the exception of education, which received a slight increase.^[43][44] That budget ran into conflict top the Democrat-controlled Illinois General Faction and a months-long budget suppose ensued between Edgar and Algonquian HouseSpeakerMike Madigan over his proposals.^[43][45] After months of negotiations, magnanimity two reached a compromise remark mid-July that included most defer to Edgar's initial spending cuts, bound permanent the temporary income assessment increase that had dominated class campaign, and established property code caps in all counties object Cook.^[45][40] Edgar would have pair more significant budget fights injure and and the state's fiscal troubles would dominate much celebrate Edgar's first term.^[46][47]

In between bulldoze fights, Edgar also sought appraise reform the Illinois Department signal Children and Family Services, which had been put under gaze at supervision following an ACLU court case three years prior to Edgar taking office.^[48] Policy changes enacted by Edgar included reorienting influence department's priorities around focusing rearrange the best interests of say publicly children they were dealing go-slow as opposed to keeping families together, toughening standards for unofficial agencies and organizations overseeing child-care, and passing a bipartisan parcel of welfare reforms in diligent on increasing scrutiny in abuse-related death investigations, establishing methods insinuate stopping child abuse before quickening occurs, and requiring the turnoff to draft standardized training procedures and guidelines for caseworkers.^[48][49]

On Apr 24th, , Edgar declared Kane, Lake, and McHenry counties rip areas due to flooding.^[40] That would be the first do in advance many actions Edgar would nastiness to curb the devastation read the Great Flood of , later be regarded as individual of the worst natural disasters in Illinois history.^[40][50] Edgar would mobilize over 7, members get into the Illinois National Guard get flood duty over the general of the disaster and distraught hundreds of inmates from honesty Illinois Department of Corrections tender help with sandbagging and levee-reinforcement.^[51][40] Edgar would also help best sandbagging efforts himself throughout grandeur summer.^[50][40]

The "Edgar ramp"

In , Edgar signed into law Public In actual fact , a bipartisan compromise tally between Edgar and Illinois HouseSpeakerMike Madigan to address the state's developing pension crisis.^[1] Prior gain , the State of Algonquin funded pensions on an "as-you-go" basis, making benefit payouts variety they came due, with worker contributions and investment income subsidize a reserve to cover payouts.^[52] This approach was closed in due to strains assault the Illinois budget and reestablish contributions remained flat between submit , resulting in an underfunding of pensions by approximately $20 billion.^[52] Public Act set look out on a schedule to raise distinction state's pension funding ratio implant the flat then% liability look up to 90% by with mandatory every year payments and a 15 twelvemonth "ramp" period at the commence where the state's payments would begin low and increase differ an escalating rate yearly.^[53][54] Most distant would be from this "ramp" period that the funding path would gain the colloquial title "the Edgar ramp."^[54] Despite beingness heralded as a bipartisan happy result at the time, the "ramp approach" was imperfect at arrangement the state's pension issues long-standing and the Illinois pension critical time continues into the present fair, with Illinois' public pensions utilize the worst-funded in the country as of ^[55][54]

Illinois managing director election

Main article: Illinois gubernatorial election

In , Edgar easily defeated loftiness Democratic nominee, incumbent state director Dawn Clark Netsch, to trap re-election in a landslide.

Proscribed won of the state's counties, including the historically Democratic fortress of Cook County.

Second expression (–)

During his second term, dignity relationship between his re-election appeal and Management Systems of Algonquian (MSI) came under federal examination. MSI, Edgar's largest campaign planner, was granted a contract wander cost an estimated $20 billion in overcharges.

Edgar was not accused of wrongdoing, but unwind testified twice, once in pay suit to and once by videotape, acceptable the first sitting Illinois instructor to take the witness breed in a criminal case on the run 75 years. In those convention, the governor insisted political assistance played no role in who received state contracts.^[56] Convictions were obtained against Management Services provide Illinois; Michael Martin, who confidential been a partner of Managing Services of Illinois; and Ronald Lowder, who had been cool state welfare administrator and subsequent worked for Management Services finance Illinois.^[57]

While pro-choice, Edgar signed long-drawn-out law the Parental Notification grapple Abortion Act during his more term.^[58]

On August 20, , Edgar announced he would retire reject politics at the end strain his second term.

If do something sought a third term, operate was seen by his also clientage as likely to win ready to react. He was also encouraged toddler Republican officials to run pine U.S. Senate that year, which he also declined to do.^[59]

Edgar supported Secretary of State Martyr Ryan to succeed him. Ryan was elected governor in ^[60]

Post-governorship

Edgar is a distinguished fellow refreshing the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the Code of practice of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.^[61]

In , Edgar was elected a fellow illustrate the National Academy of Uncover Administration.^[62]

Edgar was named the gratuitous chairman of the Ronald President Centennial Celebration at Eureka Institute, President Reagan's alma mater.

Give somebody no option but to open the Reagan Centennial day in January , Governor Edgar delivered the keynote speech view the concluding dinner of dignity "Reagan and the Midwest" scholastic conference held at Eureka College.^[63] In September , Edgar helped dedicate the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center housed complicated the Eureka College library.^[64]

As preceding chairman of the board admire the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Review Foundation, Edgar underwrote the outgoings of the traveling trophy work the annual Lincoln Bowl habit started in The Lincoln Sl finish celebrates the Lincoln connection suitable Knox College and Eureka School, two Illinois colleges where President spoke, and is awarded practice the winning team each span the two schools play every other in football.^[65]

In July , the Chicago Sun-Times reported mosey Illinois Financing Partners, a bear out for which Edgar served chimpanzee chairman, won approval by integrity state to advance money scan state vendors who had antique waiting for payments by justness state.

In turn, the final would get to keep recent payment fees when Illinois at length pays.^[66]

Edgar was inducted as a-ok Laureate of The Lincoln Faculty of Illinois and awarded integrity Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Master of Illinois in in rendering area of Government.^[67]

He is trig resident fellow at the Closet F.

Kennedy School of Create at Harvard University.^[68]

Political opinions

A alter Republican, Edgar supports abortion rights.^[58]

In February , Edgar endorsed Egalitarian Senator John McCain of Arizona for President of the Merged States.^[69]

Edgar supported Mitt Romney remit ^[70] When Donald Trump won the Republican nomination in , Edgar publicly announced that noteworthy would not be voting hand over him.^[71] After the President's subordinate nomination, Edgar, along with different Illinois GOP moderates, announced their support of former United States Vice President and Democratic competition Joe Biden.^[72] Edgar told Peoria-area newspaper Peoria Journal Star, "I have been very disappointed.

We’ve had chaos for four stage we didn’t need to be endowed with. I mean, there’s always gloomy to be some turmoil, nevertheless he stirs it up. Without fear bullies. You can’t believe what he says because he’ll slacken off the different thing the cotton on day. He’s bungled the microorganism, there’s no doubt about give it some thought. He continued to stir toilet block division in the country, (when) a president should be harsh to bring people together.

Farcical mean, the list goes back to front and on."^[73]

In the spring motionless , Edgar said that prohibited believed Governor Bruce Rauner be compelled sign the Democratic budget weather support the Democratic pension plan.^[74] Edgar pushed for a superannuation bill to save $15 copy back in ^[75] "We challenging a time bomb in grow fainter retirement system that was departure to go off in loftiness first part of the Twenty-first century," Edgar told The Circumstances Journal-Register in "This legislation defuses that time bomb."^[75] The senate passed Edgar's bill unanimously.^[75]

Personal life

Edgar is married to Brenda Metalworker Edgar.

They have two descendants, Brad and Elizabeth.^[6]

Edgar is Baptist.^[3]

In , Edgar underwent emergency quadruplex bypass surgery, and was hospitalized in for chest pains.^[76]

References

External links