Illinois Roots The son of a Vietnam veteran, John Fritchey was born on March 2, 1964 at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. After living briefly in Olney, Illinois, home to three generations of his family, and later in Belleville, John moved to Chicago with his mother where he attended grammar school and high school. John went on to receive a B.A. degree in Economics from The University of Michigan in 1986 before returning home to Chicago where he earned a law degree from Northwestern University in 1989. John is now raising his own family in the DePaul neighborhood just three blocks from where his grandmother once ran a family restaurant.
A Career of Public Service
Following law school, John accepted a position as an Illinois Assistant Attorney General, representing the State in both state and federal courts. Eager to continue his public service, in 1996, John ran for State Representative and was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly at the age of 32. John's ability to garner support from both local elected officials and his broad grassroots base led political publications to call John the "new face of Chicago Democrats". As a result of his effective leadership and accomplishments, the national Democratic Leadership Council has twice named John as one of their "100 Rising Stars to Watch" in the country.
Leadership on the Issues
John has established himself as a leader on numerous important issues facing Illinois. From government ethics to consumer protection to education funding, John has consistently fought for his constituents and the residents throughout Illinois. In 2001, John's efforts led to his being named Democratic Leader of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission.
Since first being elected, John has been a leader in the fight to clean up government. In 2002, after four years of battling Governor George Ryan's administration, John passed the first significant campaign reform law in Illinois in years, outlawing the practice of campaign fundraising by state inspectors. In 2003, his work with State Senator Barack Obama resulted in the passage of the most comprehensive ethics bill ever passed in the state.
When Illinois was awarded 9.1 billion dollars in the national lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers, House leadership named John to be Co-Chairman of the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Committee. In this role, John sponsored sweeping legislation to improve the health of all Illinoisans through a fiscally responsible plan combining major healthcare initiatives with long-term savings and investment.
As Chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee from 1999-2002, John was at the forefront of the fight to protect the rights of families and individuals throughout our state. His efforts to rein in escalating ATM fees received national praise and attention. Recently, in order to combat the growing problem of identity theft, John drafted and passed a law preventing retailers from printing your full credit card number on receipts. This past session, John passed legislation out of the House to protect computer users from the dangers and annoyances of spyware.
In 2003, John's hard work and experience led to his being selected to be Chairman of the House Civil Judiciary Committee, putting him at the forefront of handling many of the key proposals that affect our daily lives.
More About John
In addition to his service as a legislator, John has taught as an adjunct lecturer in political science at Northwestern University. He is involved with numerous civic organizations and local community groups and chambers of commerce.
Almost a decade ago, John created the John Fritchey Youth Foundation, designed to create educational and recreational opportunities for local children through the sponsorship of academic and sports programs. Among the programs supported by the Foundation is an annual essay contest involving eighth graders throughout the district.
