Maureen Murphy (politician)

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Maureen Murphy
Member of the
Brendan F. Houlihan
Chair of the Cook County Republican Party
In office
2002–2004
Preceded byManny Hoffman
Succeeded byGary Skoien[1]
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 36th district
In office
1993–1997
Preceded byAndrew J. McGann
Succeeded byJames D. Brosnahan
Worth Township Clerk
In office
1985–1989
Personal details
Born
Maureen Toolan

(1952-11-14)November 14, 1952
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2008(2008-08-09) (aged 55)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Jack Murphy
(m. 1970)
Children5
OccupationRealtor

Maureen Murphy (née Toolan; November 14, 1952 – August 9, 2008) was an American politician in the Republican Party. She held several offices in Illinois, serving as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Cook County Board of Review, and chairing the Cook County Republican Party from 2002 to 2004.

Early life and career

She was born Maureen Toolan in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Blue Island, Illinois.[2][3] She married Jack Murphy in 1970, and they settled in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park.[3] They had five sons, one of whom died shortly after birth in 1983.[3]

After working as a realtor, Murphy served on the

In 1988, she ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Cook County Recorder of Deeds, losing the Republican primary to Bernard Stone
.

Political career

She was elected to the

Murphy served as Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party from 2002 to 2004; she was the first woman to hold that position.[3]

She also served as the 1st district Commissioner of the

Brendan F. Houlihan by a narrow margin of 2.4%.[6]

During the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, Murphy worked on behalf of the presidential campaign of former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson as a congressional district chair for Illinois's 1st congressional district.[7]

Maureen was the first woman, first Republican, and first suburban resident to serve on the Cook County Board of Review.

Death

Murphy died from lung cancer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago on August 9, 2008, at the age of 55.[3]

References

  1. ^ Welebir, Morgan (April 19, 2004). "GOP going back to basics". nwitimes.com. The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  2. ^ "Maureen Murphy". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Trebe, Patricia (August 13, 2008). "Maureen Murphy: 1952 - 2008". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  4. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1995-1996,' Biographical Sketch of Maureen Murphy, pg. 83
  5. ^ Pallasch, Abdon M. (December 25, 2006). "Corporate property tax breaks may slow down. Board of Review changes may help homeowners". Chicago Sun-Times.
  6. ^ (Source: Cook County Clerk)
  7. ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T., eds. (November 8, 2007). "Press Release: Thompson Campaign Announces Illinois Leadership Team". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 20, 2021.