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Governor Rod Blagojevich - Illinois

Rod Blagojevich was sworn in as the 40th Governor of the State of Illinois on January 13, 2003. Rod Blagojevich, his public service, and his vision for the state are all driven by a fundamental belief in the promise of the American Dream, a dream he has experienced first hand as the son of Serbian immigrants. Blagojevich was born in 1956 and raised on the Northwest side of Chicago. There, his father worked tirelessly at a Chicago steel plant, and together with Rod’s mother, saved for 15 years in order to send Rod and his brother to college.

Rod learned the value of hard work early: shining shoes at age 9, delivering pizzas, working at a meat packing plant and even washing pots and pans on the Alaskan Pipeline to earn money for college and law school. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1979 and earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in 1983.

As a Cook County Assistant States’ Attorney, Blagojevich prosecuted domestic abuse cases and felony weapons charges. These experiences made him a strong advocate for tougher sentencing laws and sensible handgun safety legislation when he was elected to the General Assembly in 1992. Blagojevich led the fight for Illinois’ truth in sentencing law that requires criminals to serve at least 85% of their prison term before being eligible for parole.

Elected as a Congressman from Illinois’ 5th District in 1996, Blagojevich continued to make public safety issues his primary focus. However, his accomplishments are not limited to this arena alone. His commitment to the environment led to an endorsement by the Sierra Club. At the height of the Balkan conflict, Blagojevich traveled to Belgrade and worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson to negotiate the release of three captive U.S. soldiers. He has also been a strong advocate for a Patients’ Bill of Rights.

Blagojevich helped to establish the National Teachers’ Academy in Illinois to attract the best and brightest teachers and improve the quality of teaching in our schools. He secured $700 million to replace out-dated library books, earning him public service awards from the American Library Association, the Friends of Libraries USA and the White House Conference on Libraries.

Blagojevich is committed to building on these accomplishments to create more opportunities and better futures for families across Illinois. Blagojevich is working to improve education for every child, create good jobs in every part of the State, and guarantee access to affordable prescription drugs for every senior. Blagojevich pledges to make everyday life better for average working families in Illinois.

Rod, wife Patricia, and a five-year-old daughter, Amy live in Chicago.