Neil Hartigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neil Hartigan
Hartigan c.1989
Judge of the Illinois Court of Claims
In office May 2, 2013 – March 21, 2019
Appointed by	Pat Quinn
Preceded by	Norma Jann
Succeeded by	Sonia Antolec
Judge of the Illinois First District Appellate Court
In office December 2, 2002 – June 1, 2004
Preceded by	Robert Chapman Buckley
Succeeded by	P. Scott Neville Jr.
38th Attorney General of Illinois
In office January 12, 1983 – January 14, 1991
Governor	Jim Thompson
Preceded by	Ty Fahner
Succeeded by	Roland Burris
40th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
In office January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977
Governor	Dan Walker
Preceded by	Paul Simon
Succeeded by	Dave O'Neal
Personal details
Born	Cornelius Francis Hartigan (1938-05-04) May 4, 1938 (age 87) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Marge Dunne (died 2003)
Children	4
Education	Georgetown University (BS) Loyola University Chicago (JD)

Cornelius Francis Hartigan (born May 4, 1938) is an American politician, lawyer, and judge. He has held important roles in Illinois government. He served as the 38th Attorney General of Illinois and the 40th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Born into a family involved in Chicago politics, Hartigan started his career working for Mayor Richard J. Daley. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1972. Later, he became the state's Attorney General in 1982. He ran for Governor in 1990 but lost by a small number of votes. Hartigan also served as a judge on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Court of Claims.

Early Life and Education

Neil Hartigan grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. He came from a large family with Irish Catholic roots. His family was involved in local politics, but they were not part of the main group running the city.

His father, David, worked in the city treasurer's office. He later became City Treasurer of Chicago from 1954 to 1955. After that, he was elected an Alderman for the 49th Ward.

Neil Hartigan went to Loyola Academy for high school. He then graduated from Georgetown University in 1959. After college, he returned to Chicago. He studied law at Loyola University Chicago and became a lawyer in 1966.

Starting His Political Career

After graduating from Georgetown, Hartigan began working for Mayor Richard J. Daley. He started in a simple job but soon became an assistant to the city's health commissioner. Once he became a lawyer, he worked for the Board of Health. He also served as the main lawyer for the Chicago Park District.

Hartigan became a trusted helper to Mayor Richard J. Daley. He worked as an administrative assistant and helped connect the Mayor with the Illinois Legislature. He also helped with the Mayor's re-election campaigns.

In 1968, Hartigan was elected as the Democratic Committeeman for Chicago's 49th ward. This was the same area his father had represented. He held this position until 1980.

Serving as Lieutenant Governor

In 1971, Paul Simon, who was then the lieutenant governor, asked Hartigan to run with him. This was for the 1972 election for governor and lieutenant governor. Hartigan won the nomination for lieutenant governor. However, Simon lost the governor nomination to Dan Walker. Even so, Hartigan and Walker were elected together in the general election. They defeated the current Republican governor, Richard B. Ogilvie.

When he took office, Hartigan was the youngest person ever to be elected lieutenant governor in any state. During his time in office, he helped create the Illinois Department of Aging. This department was made to run state programs for older people. Later in his term, Hartigan became the leader of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors.

In 1976, he ran for re-election. He won the nomination for lieutenant governor again. But Governor Walker lost the primary election to Michael Howlett. The team of Howlett and Hartigan then lost the general election. It would be 26 years before another Democrat held the lieutenant governor's office in Illinois.

Becoming Attorney General

After losing the 1976 election, Hartigan worked as an executive for a bank. He returned to elected office in 1983 as the Attorney General of Illinois. He won this position by defeating the Republican who was currently in office.

In 1986, Hartigan first thought about running for governor. But when Adlai Stevenson III decided to run, Hartigan chose to run for re-election as attorney general instead. He won by a large number of votes. As attorney general, Hartigan was the highest-ranking Democratic official in Illinois during the 1980s.

Hartigan ran for governor in the 1990 election. He won the Democratic nomination without anyone running against him. He campaigned as a moderate Democrat. He suggested lowering the state income tax and giving more money to social services, like education. Hartigan lost the general election to Secretary of State Jim Edgar by a very small margin.

Later Years and Judicial Roles

After his defeat in 1990, Hartigan left elected office for a while. He worked for a law firm in Chicago. He also served as the chairman of World Trade Center Illinois. During the 1990s, there was talk that Hartigan might run for office again. News reports mentioned him as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate and for governor.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Hartigan to serve on the board of directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. His daughter, Laura, also helped with Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign.

In 2002, Hartigan was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court. This court covers Cook County. After two years, he decided to retire from this judge position. On March 22, 2013, Governor Pat Quinn appointed Hartigan to the Illinois Court of Claims. He served as a judge on this court from May 2, 2013, until he retired on March 21, 2019.