Neil Hartigan

Cornelius Francis Hartigan (born May 4, 1938) is an American politician, attorney, and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th Attorney General of Illinois from 1983 to 1991 and as the 40th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1973 to 1977. Hartigan was also the Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois in the 1990 election.

Hartigan began his career as a protégé of Mayor Richard J. Daley, serving in various administrative and legal roles within the Chicago city government. Elected the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1972, he held the office for one term under Dan Walker. As the running mate of Michael Howlett, he lost reelection in the 1976 landslide.

After a brief period in the private sector, Hartigan successfully ran for Attorney General of Illinois in 1982, defeating the Republican incumbent, Tyrone C. Fahner. An advocate for consumers' rights and environmental protection, he won reelection by a wide margin in the 1986 election. As the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990, Hartigan narrowly lost the race to Republican Jim Edgar.

Following his defeat, Hartigan embarked on a career in the judiciary. Elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2002, he heard cases from the Cook County district. He voluntarily retired in 2004. Appointed by Governor Pat Quinn, he went on to serve on the Illinois Court of Claims from 2013 to 2019.

Early life and education Born into an Irish Catholic family, Hartigan grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Attending Loyola Academy in nearby Wilmette, he went on to graduate from Georgetown University in 1959. Hartigan received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1962.

The Hartigan family was involved in Chicago Democratic politics. Hartigan's father, David, worked for the city government. David also briefly served as City Treasurer of Chicago under Mayor Martin H. Kennelly from 1954 to 1955, and later represented the 49th ward from 1955 until his death in 1959. In addition, Hartigan's paternal uncle, Matthew, was a longtime judge in Chicago.

Early career Following law school and until his election as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1972, Hartigan worked for the City of Chicago.

A protégé of Mayor Richard J. Daley, Hartigan served in the mayor's office as an administrative assistant. He was in charge of the city's liquor licensing and was Daley's lobbyist in the Illinois General Assembly. Despite this, during his tenure, Hartigan helped establish the Illinois Department on Aging, a first-of-its-kind state agency to consolidate government programs for the elderly.

Later years Following his defeat, Hartigan served as Chairman of the World Trade Center Illinois and worked for a law firm. In 1997, Hartigan was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the board of directors of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

After leaving statewide office, Hartigan has also remained involved in politics. On a national level, he was an active supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and, alongside other former state attorneys general, he endorsed Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.

In 2002, Hartigan won election to the Illinois Appellate Court from the First District, which covers Cook County. After two years, he chose to retire voluntarily from the bench. On March 22, 2013, Governor Pat Quinn appointed Hartigan to the Illinois Court of Claims. He served on the court from 2013 until 2019.