Neil Hartigan
Encyclopedia
Neil F. Hartigan is an Illinois
Democrat who has served as Illinois Attorney General, the 40th Lieutenant Governor
, and a judge of the Illinois Appellate Court
. Hartigan also was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990 but lost the race to Republican Jim Edgar
.
. He graduated from Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor's degree
in 1959. He received a juris doctor
degree from Loyola University College of Law
in 1962.
Upon completion of law school Hartigan worked for 10 years for the city of Chicago. He served in various roles: as the city's legislative counsel in Springfield
, as attorney for the Chicago Board of Health and as general counsel for the Chicago Park District
.
. Simon lost the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Daniel Walker
, while Hartigan beat Walker's hand-picked running mate. Walker and Hartigan won the general election, making Hartigan, at age 34, the youngest lieutenant governor in the nation. Following his election Time magazine named him as one of 200 future leaders of the country.
Hartigan won renomination in 1976, but Michael J. Howlett ousted Walker at the top of the ticket. In the general election James R. Thompson
and Dave O'Neal
soundly defeated the Democratic team of Howlett and Hartigan.
entered the race. Hartigan then ran for reelection as attorney general, and won with the highest number of votes of any statewide office that year. In 1990 Hartigan won the Democratic nomination for Illinois Governor but was defeated in the General Election by Illinois Secretary of State Jim Edgar
.
Since then Hartigan has served Chairman of the World Trade Center Illinois and from 2002–2004 as a Judge on the Illinois Appellate Court
. Hartigan retired voluntarily from the bench in 2004. He was a member of Hillary Clinton
's Illinois Steering Committee and February 5 Rapid Responders.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Democrat who has served as Illinois Attorney General, the 40th Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. In Illinois, the lieutenant governor and governor run on a joint ticket, and are directly elected by popular vote. Candidates for lieutenant governor run separately in the primary from candidates for...
, and a judge of the Illinois Appellate Court
Illinois Appellate Court
The Illinois Appellate Court is the court of first appeal for civil and criminal cases arising in the Illinois Circuit Courts. Three Illinois Appellate Court judges hear each case and the concurrence of two is necessary to render a decision. The Illinois Appellate Court will render its opinion in...
. Hartigan also was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990 but lost the race to Republican Jim Edgar
Jim Edgar
James Edgar is an American politician who was the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. As a moderate Republican in a largely blue-leaning state, Edgar was a popular and successful governor, leaving office with high approval ratings...
.
Background
Hartigan grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood and graduated from Loyola AcademyLoyola Academy
Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school, located in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, it is one of 47 Jesuit high schools in the United States and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education...
. He graduated from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1959. He received a juris doctor
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...
degree from Loyola University College of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law is the law school of the Loyola University Chicago, in Illinois. Established in 1909, by the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic order of the Jesuits, the School of Law is located in downtown Chicago, within walking distance of the Water Tower , the John...
in 1962.
Upon completion of law school Hartigan worked for 10 years for the city of Chicago. He served in various roles: as the city's legislative counsel in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, as attorney for the Chicago Board of Health and as general counsel for the Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
.
Lt. Governor of Illinois
In 1972, Hartigan was selected as the running mate to the party's endorsed candidate, then-lieutenant governor Paul SimonPaul Simon (politician)
Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
. Simon lost the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Daniel Walker
Daniel Walker
Daniel Walker was the 36th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1973 to 1977.-Early life and career:He was born in Washington, D.C. and raised near San Diego, California. He was the second Governor of Illinois to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. He served as a naval officer in...
, while Hartigan beat Walker's hand-picked running mate. Walker and Hartigan won the general election, making Hartigan, at age 34, the youngest lieutenant governor in the nation. Following his election Time magazine named him as one of 200 future leaders of the country.
Hartigan won renomination in 1976, but Michael J. Howlett ousted Walker at the top of the ticket. In the general election James R. Thompson
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson, Jr. , also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois...
and Dave O'Neal
Dave O'Neal
David C. O’Neal was the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1981. For six years he served as Saint Clair County Sheriff, the first Republican to hold that office in twenty years.-Background:...
soundly defeated the Democratic team of Howlett and Hartigan.
Post service as Lt. Governor of Illinois
For a time, Hartigan left public life for the business world. He returned in 1982, winning election as Illinois attorney general. In 1986, he briefly sought the Democratic nomination for governor but withdrew when Adlai Stevenson IIIAdlai Stevenson III
Adlai Ewing Stevenson III is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He represented the state of Illinois in the United States Senate from 1970 until 1981.-Education, military service, and early career:...
entered the race. Hartigan then ran for reelection as attorney general, and won with the highest number of votes of any statewide office that year. In 1990 Hartigan won the Democratic nomination for Illinois Governor but was defeated in the General Election by Illinois Secretary of State Jim Edgar
Jim Edgar
James Edgar is an American politician who was the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. As a moderate Republican in a largely blue-leaning state, Edgar was a popular and successful governor, leaving office with high approval ratings...
.
Since then Hartigan has served Chairman of the World Trade Center Illinois and from 2002–2004 as a Judge on the Illinois Appellate Court
Illinois Appellate Court
The Illinois Appellate Court is the court of first appeal for civil and criminal cases arising in the Illinois Circuit Courts. Three Illinois Appellate Court judges hear each case and the concurrence of two is necessary to render a decision. The Illinois Appellate Court will render its opinion in...
. Hartigan retired voluntarily from the bench in 2004. He was a member of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
's Illinois Steering Committee and February 5 Rapid Responders.