Don Manzullo

Donald Anthony Manzullo (born March 24, 1944)

Manzullo served as the president and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute between 2012 and 2018.

Early life, education, and law career Don Manzullo was born in Rockford, Illinois and attended Auburn High School, graduating in 1962. He earned a bachelor's degree from American University in Washington, D.C. in 1967 and a J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1970.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections 1990 Incumbent Republican U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Morley Martin, of Illinois's 16th congressional district, decided to retire in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Manzullo ran in the Republican primary, but lost to State Representative John Hallock, Jr. 54%-46%. In the general election, Hallock was defeated by Democrat John W. Cox Jr., a city attorney.

1992 Manzullo ran for the 16th district again in 1992. He won the Republican primary, defeating State Senator Jack Schaffer 56%-44%. In the general election, he defeated the incumbent 56%-44%.

1994–2006 During this time period, Manzullo was never challenged in the Republican primary. He won re-election every two years with at least 60% of the vote, and was completely unopposed in 1998.

2008

Manzullo defeated Democrat Bob Abboud, the Mayor of Barrington Hills, 61%-36%.

2010

Manzullo defeated Democrat George Gaulrapp, the Mayor of Freeport, 65%-31%.

2012

Illinois' congressional map was significantly altered after the 2010 census. Manzullo's district underwent some of the most dramatic changes. For most of the last century and a half, the 16th and its predecessors had stretched from the Rockford area to the northwestern corner of the state, though from 1993 to 2013 it stretched as far as McHenry County in the Chicago suburbs. Indeed, the addition of McHenry County helped Manzullo defeat Cox in 1992. The reconfigured 16th retained Manzullo's home in Ogle County and most of Rockford's suburbs. However, most of its western portion, including more than half of Rockford itself, was shifted to the 17th District. To make up for the loss in population, the 16th was pushed well to the east, and now stretched from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana border, essentially wrapping around the collar counties. The new map drew the home of freshman 11th district incumbent Adam Kinzinger, a somewhat more moderate Republican, into the 16th.

Despite this dramatic remap, the new 16th was still geographically more Manzullo's district than Kinzinger's. The new 16th included roughly 44 percent of Manzullo's former territory and only 31 percent of Kinzinger's. Manzullo was backed by conservative groups including FreedomWorks, the American Conservative Union, and various Tea Party groups, while Kinzinger was backed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Tenure

Manzullo had a very conservative voting record; indeed, for much of his tenure he was one of the most (if not the most) conservative members of the Illinois delegation. He has a lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 96, the highest in the Illinois delegation. He was a member of the Republican Study Committee. His views on such issues as abortion also follow this trend; he has a 100% approval rating from the National Right to Life Committee since 1997. He is also a strong supporter of the American Land Rights Association.

During his tenure in Congress, Manzullo authored 17 bills that were signed into law by the President and altered the direction of 18 other bills that also became law. Manzullo testifies in front of a Transportation Committee subcommittee, advocating for increased use of the regional airport in Rockford as a way to decrease crowding at Chicago's other airports. During his time in Congress, Manzullo worked avidly to ensure "the safety of the American people". He consistently supported the interests of the American Security Council Foundation and the Center for Security Politics. At one point, Manzullo worked on an appeal to President Barack Obama to forgo his plan to move over 200 Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist suspects from Guantanamo Bay detention camp to northern Illinois for detainment. He instead advocated for the creation of a new federal prison, the Thomson Correctional Facility, as a new hub in the already vastly over capacity prison system.

Manzullo has offered support to British American Tobacco in its campaign against the Australian government's decision to compel tobacco companies to only offer their products in plain packaging in an effort to reduce smoking rates, particularly amongst young people.

To fund his campaigns for re-election, Manzullo receives financing from a number of contributors, foremost among them Honeywell International, which donated $10,000 towards his last election. He has also received amounts of $5,000 or more from New York Life Insurance, American Society of Anesthesiologists, AFLAC Incorporated, and the American Bankers Association.

Manzullo served as the chairman on the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific from 2011 to 2013. He retired in June 2018.

In February 2013, Chicago Rockford International Airport honored Manzullo by naming the airport's international terminal "Donald A. Manzullo International Terminal." While in Congress, Manzullo worked to secure funds and U.S. Customs inspection service for the terminal, which opened in 2006 as the third international terminal in Illinois.

Personal life Manzullo is married to the former Freda Teslik and is the father of three adult children. He lives in Rockford.