Jim Edgar

Jim Edgar
38th Governor of Illinois
In office
January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999
Lieutenant Bob Kustra
Preceded by James R. Thompson
Succeeded by George Ryan
35th Secretary of State of Illinois
In office
January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1991
Governor James R. Thompson
Preceded by Alan J. Dixon
Succeeded by George Ryan
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
1977–1979
Personal details
Born (1946-07-22) July 22, 1946
Vinita, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Brenda Smith

James Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999.[1] Previously he served as 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. Though still popular, he surprised many by retiring from elected office after his second term as governor, claiming that heart problems he had while governor were not a factor in his decision.[2]

Political life

A Republican, Edgar was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1976 and re-elected in 1978. In April 1979, Edgar resigned his state House seat to accept an appointment from Governor Jim Thompson as his legislative liaison. In early 1981, when then-Secretary of State Alan Dixon moved to the U.S. Senate, Thompson named Edgar to fill the vacancy. He won the office on his own in 1982 and 1986 and served until 1991.[3]

Governor of Illinois

During his second term, the relationship between his re-election campaign and Management Systems of Illinois (MSI) came under federal scrutiny. MSI, Edgar's largest campaign contributor, was granted a contract that cost an estimated $20 million in overcharges. Eventually, a number of both private citizens and state employees were convicted in federal court. Edgar was never accused of wrongdoing, but he testified twice, once in court and once by videotape, becoming the first sitting Illinois governor to take the witness stand in a criminal case in 75 years. In those appearances, the governor insisted political donations played no role in who received state contracts.[4]

"Edgar Ramp"

In the spring of 2016, Edgar said publicly that he believes Governor Bruce Rauner should sign the Democratic budget and support the Democratic pension plan.[5] Edgar pushed for a pension bill to save $15 billion back in 1994.[6] "We had a time bomb in our retirement system that was going to go off in the first part of the 21st century," Edgar told The State Journal Register in 1994. "This legislation defuses that time bomb."[7] The legislature passed Edgar's bill unanimously.[8]

In July 2016, the Chicago Sun-Times Illinois Financing Partners, a firm for which Edgar served as chairman, won approval by the state to advance money to state vendors who had been waiting for payments by the state. In turn, the firm would get to keep late payment fees when Illinois finally pays.[9]

Later life

Edgar is a distinguished fellow of the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.[10]

In February 2008, Edgar endorsed Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona for President of the United States.[11]

Edgar was named the honorary chairman of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration at Eureka College, President Reagan's alma mater. To open the Reagan Centennial year in January 2011, Governor Edgar delivered the keynote speech at the concluding dinner of the "Reagan and the Midwest" academic conference held at Eureka College.[12] In September 2011, Edgar helped dedicate the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center housed in the Eureka College library.[13]

As former chairman of the board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Edgar underwrote the costs of the traveling trophy for the annual Lincoln Bowl tradition started in 2012. The Lincoln Bowl celebrates the Lincoln connection with Knox College and Eureka College, two Illinois colleges where Lincoln spoke, and is awarded to the winning team each time the two schools play each other in football.[14]

Edgar supported Mitt Romney in 2012.[15] Despite Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination in 2016, Edgar publicly announced that he would not be voting for the candidate.[16]

Awards

Jim Edgar was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 1999 in the area of Government.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Illinois Governor Jim Edgar". Governor's Information. National Governors Association. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Illinois Governor Surprises By Retiring From Politics". New York Times. 1997-08-21. Retrieved 2011-09-08.
  3. ↑ "Illinois blue book, 1997-1998 :: Illinois Blue Books". Idaillinois.org. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  4. ↑ "Msi Scandal Link To Aides Of Edgar, Philip Revealed - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2000-08-24. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  5. ↑ http://www.wirepoints.com/why-jim-edgar-has-zero-credibility-on-illinois-budget-and-pensions-wp-original/
  6. ↑ https://www.illinoispolicy.org/the-edgar-ramp-the-reform-that-unleashed-illinois-pension-crisis/
  7. ↑ https://www.illinoispolicy.org/the-edgar-ramp-the-reform-that-unleashed-illinois-pension-crisis/
  8. ↑ https://www.illinoispolicy.org/the-edgar-ramp-the-reform-that-unleashed-illinois-pension-crisis/
  9. ↑ Fusco, Chris; Novak, Tim (2016-07-02). "WATCHDOGS: Ex-Gov. Jim Edgar aims to cash in on state's cash woes". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  10. ↑ "Jim Edgar". Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois: Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  11. ↑ Tackett, Michael (February 1, 2008). "Former Ill. Gov. Edgar endorses McCain". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ Steinbacher, Michele (2010-11-23). "Edgar, Meese to appear at Reagan conference in Eureka". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  13. ↑ Chris Kaergard (2011-09-26). "Edgar dedicates Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center - News - Woodford Times - Peoria, IL - Metamora, IL". Woodford Times. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  14. ↑ "Lincoln Bowl". Pantagraph.com. 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  15. ↑ "Edgar: GOP Campaign Has Gone On Too Long « CBS Chicago". Chicago.cbslocal.com. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  16. ↑ http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/government-and-politics/elections/edgar-trump-candidacy-rauner-money-make-unpredictable/article_b3fb7e9b-c7b8-579a-9112-e62148d7d59d.html
  17. ↑ "Laureates by Year - The Lincoln Academy of Illinois". The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
Political offices
Preceded by
Alan J. Dixon		 Illinois Secretary of State
January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1991		 Succeeded by
George Ryan
Preceded by
James R. Thompson		 Governor of Illinois
January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999		 Succeeded by
George Ryan
Party political offices
Preceded by
James R. Thompson		 Republican Party nominee for Governor of Illinois
1990, 1994		 Succeeded by
George Ryan
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