Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan Will Not Run For Re-Election

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Friday that she will not seek a fifth term in 2018 for the position she has held for nearly 15 years. She was the first woman elected as the state's attorney general in 2002. Before that, Madigan had served in the Illinois Senate and also worked as a Chicago litigator.

“As I look ahead, I believe that the end of my fourth term as Attorney General will be the right time for me to seek a new challenge," she said in a statement. Madigan won her fourth term in 2014. "I have dedicated my career to helping people. That will continue to be my focus, and I am looking forward to finding new ways to do that with the passion that I have brought to my work as Attorney General."

One of the new ways Madigan, 51, might help people is by becoming governor. She told Rich Miller of Crain's Chicago Business that while she's not pursuing any elected office in 2018, she wouldn't rule out a future gubernatorial run. Illinois voters go to the polls next year to decide who will be the state's next governor. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Madigan also said her decision not to pursue a fifth term as attorney general did not hinge on her chances of winning.

"I've never lost a race, and I'll never lose a race," she told Miller.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan lauded his stepdaughter's service as attorney general. He praised her achievements in the office, including authoring "tougher laws against criminals who prey on children and victims of sexual assault."

“No father could be prouder of his daughter's personal and professional accomplishments, and I look forward to watching her continue her commitment to helping people in a new capacity," Michael Madigan said in a statement.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel applauded Lisa Madigan's commitment to the city as a state official, recognizing that she "never forgot her South Side upbringing and fought for Chicago." He also said he looked forward to working with her in the future.

"She never shied from criticism or shirked duty, earning her the esteem of colleagues, the respect of her critics and the admiration of the people of Illinois," Emanuel said in a statement.

Along with being the first female attorney general for the state, Madigan also was the first Illinois attorney general to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in three decades. She has a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University, and she earned her law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

The following is Lisa Madigan's full statement regarding her decision not run for re-election:

“After serving as Illinois Attorney General for over 14 years, today I am announcing that I will not seek reelection.

“I still have much work to do on many important issues, and I will continue to give my best to the people of Illinois and the Office of Attorney General every day through the end of my term in January 2019.

“As I look ahead, I believe that the end of my fourth term as Attorney General will be the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I have dedicated my career to helping people. That will continue to be my focus, and I am looking forward to finding new ways to do that with the passion that I have brought to my work as Attorney General.

“I have no doubt that having the opportunity to serve the people of Illinois as their Attorney General will forever be a highlight of my life. I thank the people of Illinois for placing their trust in me, and I want to thank all of those who have supported my work in elected office.

“As Attorney General, I’ve fought every day for the people of Illinois. I am particularly proud of:

• Generating over $13 billion in revenue for the State;
• Successfully arguing on behalf of Illinois in the U.S. Supreme Court;
• Recovering over $3.2 billion in relief for homeowners, communities, and state pension funds from the mortgage crisis;
• Saving Illinois utility ratepayers over $2.1 billion;
• Helping over 43,000 identity theft victims remove over $29 million in fraudulent charges affecting credit reports and financial accounts;
• Enforcing the environmental laws, fighting for strong regulations to combat global climate change, and advocating for environmental justice for communities impacted by pollution;
• Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act and creating the first-ever Public Access Counselor in Illinois;
• Legislating better protections for people living in nursing homes;
• Shutting down predatory for-profit colleges and securing debt relief for their former students;
• Exposing the fraudulent practices of student lenders and fighting for borrowers’ rights;
• Leading the nation in reforming the way law enforcement responds to sexual assault crimes, including training over 1,500 nurses to become Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners;
• Championing a law to require Illinois colleges and universities to respond to sexual violence on campus, protect survivors’ rights and provide a fair and balanced process to address complaints;
• Successfully advocating to amend the Illinois Constitution to strengthen the rights of crime victims;
• Overseeing the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which has been involved in the arrest of over 1,500 sexual predators, and investigating and arresting the most prolific child pornography traders in Illinois;
• Educating over 573,500 parents and students on internet safety and 23,500 law enforcement members on investigating cybercrimes;
• Prosecuting over 500 cases to ensure the most dangerous sex offenders are not released into communities;
• Revoking the State’s 10th casino license,
• Successfully prosecuting local, county and state public officials across Illinois for misconduct; and
• Initiating the State investigation of former Governor Blagojevich.

“Above all, I am proud of the countless ways that my office works every day to help people and protect their rights.

“I attribute our success to the hard work of the dedicated and talented lawyers and staff who I have the pleasure of working with in the Office of the Attorney General. I look forward to continuing my work as Attorney General and then taking on new, challenging opportunities at the end of my term.”

More via Crain's Chicago Business

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (Photo by M. Spencer Green | Associated Press)

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