James Clayborne Jr. facts for kids

James Clayborne Jr. (born December 29, 1963) is a former American politician who served in the Illinois Senate. He represented the 57th District for over 20 years, from 1995 until 2019. A politician's job is to represent the people of their area, called a district, in the government.

The 57th District is in a part of Illinois known as the Metro East region. It includes several communities, such as Belleville, East St. Louis, and Scott Air Force Base. By the time he retired, Clayborne had become the Senate Majority Leader, a very important leadership role in the Illinois Senate.

In 2017, Clayborne announced he would not run for office again. He was replaced by Christopher Belt in 2019.

Early Life and Education

James Clayborne Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in nearby East St. Louis, Illinois. After finishing high school, he went to college at Tennessee State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

Later, he decided to study law and earned a law degree from the University of Miami. A law degree, also called a JD, is what you need to become a lawyer. While studying in Miami, he met his wife, Staci. Together, they have four sons.

Career as a Lawyer

Before becoming a politician, Clayborne worked as a lawyer. He was an assistant state’s attorney in St. Clair County. In this role, he helped prosecute crimes and worked on cases involving child support and the protection of children.

His legal skills were highly respected. He was one of only 50 lawyers from across the country chosen to attend a special program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Law Institute. After working for the government, he started his own private law practice.

A Long Career in the Illinois Senate

In 1995, Clayborne was chosen to take over the Illinois Senate seat for the 57th District after the previous senator, Kenneth Hall, left. This is called an appointment. The next year, in 1996, he was officially elected by the voters in his district.

Becoming a Leader

Clayborne quickly became an important figure in the Illinois Senate. In 2009, he was chosen to be the Senate Majority Leader. This is the second-most powerful position in the Senate. The Majority Leader helps guide the plans and goals of the political party that has the most members.

During his time in the Senate, he was in charge of several important groups called committees. These committees focus on specific topics like energy, insurance, and government hiring.

In 2012, Clayborne also served as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. A delegate is someone chosen to represent their state at a national meeting where a political party selects its candidate for President.

After a long career in public service, Clayborne retired from the Senate in 2019.