The son of a Vietnam veteran and a Moroccan mother, John Fritchey was born at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. John moved to Chicago with his mother, where he attended grammar school and high school. He went on to receive a B.A. 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. With his wife Karen, John is now raising his own family just three blocks from where his grandmother once ran a family restaurant.
A Career in Public Service
Following law school, John became an Illinois Assistant Attorney General, representing the State in both state and federal courts. John was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1996 at the age of 32. John's active support from both local elected officials and his broad grassroots base led political publications to call John the "new face of Chicago Democrats". In 2000, as a result of his effective leadership and centrist views, the national Democratic Leadership Council named John as one of their "100 Rising Stars to Watch" in the country. In 2003, John was one of a select group to receive this honor for a second time.
Over the past 12 years, John has developed a reputation as one of the most thoughtful and substantive legislators in the General Assembly, and a champion of ethics reform. The Chicago Tribune called his 2008 legislation banning pay-to-play "the strongest campaign fundraising restrictions state lawmakers have ever approved."
As a result of his leadership on ethics legislation and his years-long opposition to the Governor's abuse of power, John served as a leading voice on the Special Investigative Committee at the forefront of the Governor's impeachment.
Leadership on the Issues
John has established himself as a leader on good government reform, as well as numerous other important issues facing Illinois. From health care to gun safety to consumer protection to fairer taxes, John has consistently fought for his constituents.
In 2003, John worked with then-State Senator Barack Obama to pass the most comprehensive ethics bill in the history of Illinois. Since then he has been a leader in the fight to end pension abuse, and to hold government agencies accountable when they fail to operate with fiscal integrity. In 2008, John overcame years of resistance by writing and passing into law the pay-to-play ban that prohibits significant campaign contributions by companies bidding for large State contracts.
John has always stood at the forefront of the fight to protect the rights of families and taxpayers throughout our state. Collaborating with his colleagues in the State House, he helped expand family health care programs that provide coverage for working families without access to benefits. He fought to include more struggling senior citizens in the State's Circuit Breaker program, which provides prescription drug coverage to seniors with low incomes. This year, the Illinois Environment Council honored him for his 100% voting record on environmental issues impacting our community and its resources.
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, local community groups and chambers of commerce. He also created the John Fritchey Youth Foundation, designed to create educational and recreational opportunities for local children through the sponsorship of academic and sports programs.
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