Jim Ryan (politician)
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the former Illinois attorney general. For the Kansas congressman, see Jim RyunJim RyunJames Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
.
James E. Ryan (born February 21, 1946) is an American politician who served two four-year terms as Illinois Attorney General
Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
. A career Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, he received his party's nomination and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
against Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
in 2002. He has been a professor at Benedictine University
Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
since 2003. He again ran for Governor in 2010 and lead incumbent Governor Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (politician)
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
in aggregate polling, however he lost his party nomination, coming in 4th out of a field of 7 candidates.
Education
Ryan was born in Chicago, Illinois. Ryan's father Edward Ryan was an Irish American construction worker while his mother was an Italian immigrant housewifeHousewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
.He attended Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
-run high school, Saint Procopius Academy (now Benet Academy
Benet Academy
Benet Academy is a co-educational, college-preparatory, Benedictine high school in Lisle, Illinois, United States, overseen by the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1887, the school was initially established in Chicago as the all-boys St. Procopius College and Academy by Benedictine monks, who also...
). Upon graduating, Ryan went on to study at Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University
Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
) where he obtained his bachelor of arts degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1968. He then went on to Chicago-Kent College of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law
Chicago–Kent College of Law, the law school affiliated with Illinois Institute of Technology, is nationally recognized for the scholarship and accomplishments of its faculty and student body. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. Many of the applications of technology in the...
where he obtained his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1971.
Career
Ryan entered the legal profession having found a position with the DuPage CountyDuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
office. After three years, he was promoted to first Assistant State's Attorney. In 1976, Ryan left the public sector to enter private practice. He worked at an independent law firm until 1984. That year, Ryan entered his first political race and won. He was sworn in as DuPage County State's Attorney, becoming the highest ranking prosecutor in the district. He was re-elected in 1988 and again in 1992. He has announced his run for Governor of Illinois in 2010
Illinois gubernatorial election, 2010
An election for Governor of Illinois was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat, sought and was elected to a full term. Quinn was elected as the Democratic nominee, the Green Party nominee was Rich Whitney, the Republican nominee was State Senator Bill Brady, the...
. He was on the receiving end of a great deal of controversy for his conduct in the erroneous prosecution of Rolando Cruz and Alex Hernandez in the Jeanine Nicarico murder case
Jeanine Nicarico murder case
The Jeanine Nicarico murder case was a complex and influential homicide investigation and prosecution in DuPage County, Illinois that sent two men to prison who were later exonerated and released, and contributed to the death penalty moratorium imposed by then-Governor George H...
.
Illinois Attorney General
Considered by local media as the most successful prosecutor in the state of Illinois, Ryan was urged to run for the state's highest legal office. In 1994, Ryan won an election to become Illinois Attorney GeneralIllinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
. He was reelected in 1998 with the endorsement of every major newspaper in the state. Ryan's most notable accomplishment as Illinois Attorney General was his $9.1 billion settlement from tobacco companies. It was the largest public judgment in the state's history.
Electoral history
- Illinois gubernatorial election, 2002Illinois gubernatorial election, 2002The 2002 Illinois gubernatorial election pitted Congressman Rod Blagojevich and state Attorney General Jim Ryan. Rod Blagojevich won 52% to 45%.-Candidates:*Rod Blagojevich, U.S...
- Rod BlagojevichRod BlagojevichRod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
(DDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
), 52% - Jim Ryan (RRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
), 45%
- Rod Blagojevich
- Illinois Attorney GeneralIllinois Attorney GeneralThe Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
, 1998- Jim Ryan (R) (inc.), 62%
- Miriam Santos (D), 38%
- Illinois Attorney GeneralIllinois Attorney GeneralThe Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
, 1994- Jim Ryan (R), 55%
- Al Hofeld (D), 45%
- Illinois Attorney GeneralIllinois Attorney GeneralThe Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
, 1990- Roland BurrisRoland BurrisRoland Wallace Burris is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party....
(D), 52% - Jim Ryan (R), 48%
- Roland Burris
Personal life
Ryan married Marie, a high school sweetheart, and had six children.In 1996, Jim Ryan was diagnosed with Stage 2 non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
and began chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. In January 1997, the youngest of Jim and Marie Ryan's six children, 12-year-old Anne Marie, collapsed and died of a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. In October 1997, Marie Ryan suffered what appeared to be a near-fatal heart attack as the couple walked near their home; the cause turned out to be a rare virus.
On October 8, 2007, Elmhurst
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
police found Ryan's son Patrick Ryan dead inside their home as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
External links
- Jim Ryan, Distinguished Fellow at Benedictine University – faculty search page at Benedictine UniversityBenedictine UniversityBenedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
- Jim Ryan, Attorney at Law, Naperville Illinois