Peter Fitzgerald (politician)
Peter Fitzgerald | |
---|---|
United States Senator from Illinois | |
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005 | |
Preceded by | Carol Moseley Braun |
Succeeded by | Barack Obama |
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 27th district | |
In office January 13, 1993 – November 16, 1998 | |
Preceded by | Virginia B. MacDonald |
Succeeded by | Wendell E. Jones |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter Gosselin Fitzgerald October 20, 1960 ) |
Peter Gosselin Fitzgerald (born October 20, 1960) is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a
Known as a maverick for his willingness to break party lines, Fitzgerald retired from the Senate in 2005 and was succeeded by Barack Obama. After retiring from politics, he and his wife moved to McLean, Virginia. The son of millionaire banking magnate Gerald Francis Fitzgerald,[1] Peter founded Chain Bridge Bank in 2007.[2]
Early life
Born in Elgin, Illinois, one of five children of Gerald Francis and Marjorie (née Gosselin) Fitzgerald,[3] Fitzgerald spent most of his life in Inverness, a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
He graduated from
Political career
State Senate
Fitzgerald was first elected to the state Senate in 1992. He was a member of a group of conservative state senators elected in 1992. They often challenged the leadership of the Illinois Republican Party and were dubbed the "Fab Five." The group also included Steve Rauschenberger, Dave Syverson, Patrick O'Malley and Chris Lauzen.[6]
1994 congressional bid
Fitzgerald challenged long-time incumbent Republican congressman Phil Crane in the 1994 Republican primary for the 8th Illinois congressional district. In a multi-candidate field, Fitzgerald lost to Crane 40% to 33%.
1998 senatorial campaign
Fitzgerald announced his intention to challenge one-term
Despite great support from Republicans and Independents, he had alienated some of the party establishment during the primary. Meanwhile, Braun was helped by notable Democrats such as
He was the first Republican in Illinois to win a U.S. Senate race in 20 years and the only Republican challenger in the country to defeat an incumbent Democratic senator in the
Senate tenure
Fitzgerald had two major moments in the spotlight in the Senate, the first in 2000 when he
Fitzgerald was staunchly conservative on such issues as
Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Fitzgerald battled with the state Republican Party leadership. He insisted on the appointment of an out-of-state
When the Republican establishment made clear that they would not support him for reelection, Fitzgerald announced he would retire at the end of his current term. Republicans nominated businessman Jack Ryan for the seat in the primaries. However, Ryan was later pressured by the Illinois Republican Party to withdraw because of publicity received from the contents of his previously-sealed divorce case. Fitzgerald stood by Ryan and supported him, despite the pressure from the media and the Illinois Republican party on Ryan to withdraw. Just 86 days before the election, the party drafted Maryland native Alan Keyes as the nominee. Keyes was accused of "carpetbagging,"[14][15][16][17] and was defeated by Barack Obama by more than 40 percent of the vote. It has been stated that Fitzgerald, who was popular among independents, stood the best chance of retaining the seat and defeating Obama, who went on to win the presidential election just four years later.[13] During his final months in office, Fox News ran an op-ed on Fitzgerald, "Retiring Senator Stood Up for Principles."[18]
Post-political career
Fitzgerald is the founder and Chairman of
Electoral history
- 1998 Republican Primary – U.S. Senate
- Peter Fitzgerald (R), 51.83%
- Loleta Didrickson (R), 48.17%
- 1998 General Election – U.S. Senate
- Peter Fitzgerald (R), 50.35%
- Carol Moseley Braun (D), 47.44%
References
- ^ "Subscription Center". November 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Thomas Heath (March 27, 2015). "The long odds of starting a local bank: Recession, interest rates deplete ranks". Washington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ "GERALD FITZGERALD Obituary – Palatine, IL | Chicago Suburban Daily Herald". Legacy.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ a b Birger, Jon (May 13, 2009). "A banker of the old school". Fortune. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - IL State House 066 Race - Mar 15, 1988". ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ Strahler, Steven (May 20, 1995). "Young and Restless;Meet GOP's Fab 5". Crain's Chicago Business. Chicago. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- washingtonpost.com. September 16, 1998. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ Belluck, Pam (November 3, 1998). "THE 1998 CAMPAIGN – ILLINOIS – Moseley-Braun, Trailing, Pushes Hard". The New York Times. Illinois. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- ^ Fund, John (March 2009). "LaHood's Neighborhood". The American Spectator. Arlington, Virginia, USA: 60–61.
- ^ [1] Archived January 8, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Fitzgerald: Rove tried to limit choice". Chicago Tribune. March 14, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
- ^ [2] Archived July 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine[3] Archived August 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine"Operation Safe Road" scandal
- ^ a b "He put the blindfold back on justice in Chicago". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. May 24, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ "Mr. Keyes the Carpetbagger". The Washington Post. August 9, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
- ^ "Ill. GOP Watches Take-No-Prisoners Campaign". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
- ^ "In Illinois, Obama defeats Keyes in race called 1 of the strangest in state's history". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
- ^ Keyes had strongly accused Hillary Clinton in 2000 for carpetbagging in New York. Alan Keyes on the Tavis Smiley Show (NPR)
- ^ "Retiring Senator Stood Up for Principles". Fox News. March 25, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ "We're everywhere your mobile device is ™". Chainbridgebank.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "One Bank's Business Built on GOP Cash : Roll Call Politics". Rollcall.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "National Constitution Center, Board of Trustees". National Constitution Center Web Site. National Constitution Center. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission — Peter G Fitzgerald campaign finance reports and data
- New York Times — Topics: Peter G. Fitzgerald collected news and commentary
- On the Issues — Peter Fitzgerald issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Peter G. Fitzgerald campaign contributions
- Appearances on C-SPAN