Mike Frerichs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Frerichs
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| 74th Treasurer of Illinois | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2015 |
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| Governor | Bruce Rauner JB Pritzker |
| Preceded by | Dan Rutherford |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 52nd district |
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| In office January 2007 – January 12, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Rick Winkel |
| Succeeded by | Scott Bennett |
| Auditor of Champaign County | |
| In office 2002–2007 |
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| Preceded by | Gerrie Parr |
| Succeeded by | Tony Fabri |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 28, 1973 Gifford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Michael W. Frerichs (born July 28, 1973) is an American politician. He is currently serving his third term as the State Treasurer of Illinois. He first took office on January 12, 2015. Before becoming Treasurer, he was a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the Illinois Senate, representing the 52nd District from 2007 until 2015. This district covers parts of Champaign and Vermilion counties. It includes cities like Champaign, Danville, and Urbana.
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Mike Frerichs' Early Life and Education
Frerichs grew up in Gifford. He graduated from Rantoul Township High School. After high school, he went to Yale University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995. He then studied Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan at National Cheng Kung University. While there, he also taught English. Later, he returned to Champaign County and started his own technology business. He also volunteered as a firefighter in his local community.
Mike Frerichs as a Champaign County Official
In 1998, Frerichs ran for State Representative but did not win. In 2000, he was elected to the Champaign County Board. He was re-elected to this board in 2002.
Later in 2002, his fellow board members chose him to be the Champaign County Auditor. As Auditor, he was in charge of important financial tasks. These included preparing budget reports and keeping financial records. He also made sure the county followed state and federal money rules. His job was to help prevent fraud and improve the county's financial health. At that time, he was the only County Auditor in Illinois to become a Certified Public Finance Officer. This means he had special training in managing public money. Two years later, he was elected to the Auditor position by voters.
Mike Frerichs as an Illinois State Senator
In 2005, Frerichs announced he would run for the 52nd Senate District seat. This seat became open when Rick Winkel retired. The election in 2006 was very competitive. Frerichs won against former Senator Judith Myers by about 500 votes. He was the first Democratic State Senator to represent East Central Illinois since 1936.
As a State Senator, Frerichs led the Committee on Higher Education. He worked to make college more affordable for students. He also served on committees related to agriculture, conservation, and financial institutions.
During his time in the Senate, Frerichs worked to end a program that gave legislative scholarships. He also pushed for companies to share what chemicals they used in fracking. After Governor Rod Blagojevich was removed from office, Frerichs helped lead the effort to prevent the former governor from ever holding office in Illinois again. This decision was supported by everyone.
Mike Frerichs as Treasurer of Illinois
2014 Election for Treasurer
In early 2014, Frerichs announced he would run for Illinois Treasurer. The previous Treasurer, Dan Rutherford, decided to run for Governor instead. Frerichs was the only Democratic candidate in the primary election. In the main election on November 4, he ran against Republican Tom Cross.
The election was very close and took over two weeks to decide. Frerichs was declared the winner. He won by a very small margin, only 9,225 votes out of more than 3.5 million votes cast. This made it one of the closest elections in Illinois history.
2018 Election for Treasurer
Frerichs ran for re-election as State Treasurer in 2018. He had no opponents in the Democratic primary election. In the general election on November 6, 2018, he faced Republican Jim Dodge and Libertarian Mike Leheney. Frerichs won the election with over 57.6% of the votes.
2022 Election for Treasurer
Frerichs ran for State Treasurer again in 2022. He was unopposed in the primary election. In the general election on November 8, 2022, he ran against Republican State Rep. Tom Demmer and Libertarian Preston Nelson. Frerichs won this election with 54.3% of the votes.
Mike Frerichs' Time as Treasurer
Frerichs became the 74th Treasurer of Illinois on January 12, 2015. He is still serving in this role today. As Treasurer, he manages the state's money. He also serves on the Illinois State Board of Investment. This board helps manage state investments.
In 2022, Frerichs was chosen by other state officials to lead the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers. He also held leadership roles in the National Association of State Treasurers. In 2022, he received an award for his service from the College Savings Plans Network.
In November 2018, Treasurer Frerichs started a program called Secure Choice. This program helps private-sector workers in Illinois save for retirement. It is for people who do not have a retirement plan through their job.
Frerichs has also invested state funds into Israeli bonds. These are financial investments that support Israel.
Mike Frerichs' Personal Life
Frerichs married Laura Appenzeller in 2003. They had one daughter in 2008. They divorced in 2013. In 2022, Frerichs married Erica Baker, who works in marketing.
Images for kids
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Mike Frerichs speaking at an event.
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Mike Frerichs' signature.
