Maureen Murphy

Maureen Murphy (née Toolan; November 14, 1952 – August 9, 2008) was an American politician in the Republican Party. She held several offices in Illinois, serving as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Cook County Board of Review, and chairing the Cook County Republican Party from 2002 to 2004.

Early life and career She was born Maureen Toolan in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Blue Island, Illinois. She married Jack Murphy in 1970, and they settled in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park.

Murphy served as chairman of the Cook County Republican Party from 2002 to 2004; she was the first woman to hold that position. On November 7, 2006 Murphy was defeated in her bid for reelection losing to Democrat Brendan F. Houlihan by a narrow margin of 2.4%.

During the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, Murphy worked on behalf of the presidential campaign of former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson as a congressional district chair for Illinois's 1st congressional district.

Maureen was the first woman, first Republican, and first suburban resident to serve on the Cook County Board of Review.

Death Murphy died from lung cancer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago on August 9, 2008, at the age of 55.