John-Fritchey


John Fritchey is a Cook County Commissioner, representing the 12th District.  He was formerly a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 11th District from 1996 to 2010. 

 


Biography

 

Early Life

John Fritchey was born on March 2, 1964 at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. After living briefly in Olney, Illinois, home to three generations of his family, and later in Belleville, John moved to Chicago with his mother where he attended grammar school and high school at the The Latin School of Chicago.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics in 1986 from the University of Michigan. Fritchey returned home to earn his juris doctorate law degree from Northwestern University in 1989. Fritchey then worked as an Illinois Assistant Attorney General from 1989-1991.

 

State Representative

Fritchey was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1996, when he was only 32. During his campaign he had support from both local elected officials as well as broad grassroots support, which led some political publications to call him the “new face of Chicago Democrats.” Fritchey continued to gain prominence when he was named “100 Rising Stars to Watch” in the nation by the Democratic Leadership Council in both 2000 and 2003.

John has fought for government ethics legislation, consumer protection and education funding. In 2001, Fritchey's efforts led to his being named Democratic Leader of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission.

Since first being elected, Fritchey has focused on ethics and campaign finance. In 2002, Fritchey helped pass the first significant campaign reform law in Illinois in years, outlawing the practice of campaign fundraising by state inspectors. In 2003, his work with State Senator Barack Obama resulted in the passage of the most comprehensive ethics bill ever passed in the state.

When Illinois was awarded $9.1 billion in the national lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers, House leadership named Fritchey to be Co-Chairman of the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Committee. In this role, John sponsored legislation to combine major healthcare initiatives with long-term savings and investment.

Fritchey was Chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee from 1999-2002. His efforts to rein in escalating ATM fees received national praise and attention.[citation needed] In order to combat identity theft, John drafted and passed a law preventing retailers from printing full credit card numbers on receipts. This past session, Fritchey passed legislation out of the House to protect computer users from spyware.

In 2003, Fritchey was selected to be Chairman of the House Civil Judiciary Committee of Southport CT. After Illinois Democrats took over all levels of state government and could still not agree on legislation, Fritchey commented, "It's gotten to the point with party infighting and clan rivalries that we're making the Iraqi parliament look good."[1]

In addition to his legislative work, Fritchey has taught as an adjunct professor in Political Science at Northwestern University. He has also created the John Fritchey Youth Foundation, designed to create educational and recreational opportunities for local children through academic and athletic programs.

Personal Life

John Fritchey and Karen Fritchey have one daughter.

John Fritchey is a Roman Catholic.

 


 

 

Endorsed by:

AFL-CIO[1], AFSCME, Illinois Federation of Teachers[2]


 

What the papers say:

 

 

"A sophisticated, centrist legislator who has an impressive understanding of his district. The Democrat stands his ground on issues and isn't afraid to buck leadership." 

 

 

"If all Democratic candidates were as competent as North Side Democrat Rep. John Fritchey, endorsements would be a slam dunk. Fritchey is an activist in his community, weighing in on a diverse range of issues... there is no question he wins our support." 

 

 

References

  1. ^ Wills, Christopher (2007-07-10). "Illinois Democrats turn on each other", Associated Press. Retrieved on 7 November 2008.

 

[edit]External links

 

Footnotes

  1. http://www.progressillinois.com/2009/2/6/il-5-fritchey-the-lobbyist
  2. http://www.progressillinois.com/2009/2/4/il-5-endorsements-galore