Mike Frerichs

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Mike Frerichs
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 52nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2007 (2007-Jan)
Preceded by Rick Winkel
Champaign County Auditor
In office
2002 (2002) – 2007 (2007)
Preceded by Gerrie Parr
Succeeded by Tony Fabri
Personal details
Born (1973-07-28) July 28, 1973
Gifford, Illinois
Political party Democratic
Residence Champaign, Illinois
Alma mater Yale University
Profession Accountant, Certified Public Finance Officer
Religion Lutheran

Mike Frerichs is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 52nd District since 2007. The East Central Illinois district, located in Champaign and Vermilion counties, includes all or parts of Champaign, Danville, Georgetown, Gifford, Rantoul, Thomasboro and Urbana.[1]

In the 98th General Assembly, Senator Frerichs serves as the chairman of the Higher Education committee[2] and had previously served as chairman of the Agriculture & Conservation and Enterprise Zone Extensions committees.[3][4]

Early life and career

Frerichs was born and raised in the small farming town of Gifford. Upon graduating from Rantoul Township High School, Frerichs attended Yale University and received his BA in 1995. He then attended National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan where he studied Mandarin Chinese while teaching English courses.[5] Upon returning home, Senator Frerichs began to teach at his alma mater and became involved in the community, including, serving on his local volunteer fire department, on the board of a local non-profit nursing home, and as a member of the Urbana Rotary Club.

Champaign County official

In 1998, Frerichs ran against then-State Representative Tim Johnson and though he lost, it was the closest margin in Johnson’s political career.[6] In 2000 Frerichs was elected to the Champaign County Board and reelected in 2002.[7][8]

Later that year, Frerichs was appointed to succeed Gerrie Parr as the Champaign County Auditor by his fellow board members.[9] As Auditor he was responsible for preparing budget reports, maintaining financial records, insures the county meets state and federal reporting requirements, preventing fraud and improving the financial health of the county.[10] At the time, he was the only auditor in the state to become a Certified Public Finance Officer, a credential he continues to maintain.[2][5] Two years later, he was elected to the position.

Illinois State Senator

In 2005, Frerichs announced he would run for the 52nd Legislative District seat that includes most of Champaign County and Vermilion County to fill the vacancy caused by Rick Winkel’s retirement.[11] In what became the most expensive state senate race of 2006,[12] Senator Frerichs was elected to the Illinois Senate by a margin of approximately five hundred votes.[13] as the first Democratic State Senator to represent East Central Illinois since 1936.[14]

Senator Frerichs currently serves as Chairman of the Committee on Higher Education[2] and is a past chair of Agriculture & Conservation and Enterprise Zone Extensions.[3][4] He also sits on the committees for Financial Institutions, Licensed Activities and Pensions, Public Pensions & State Investments and the Agriculture & Conservation.[2]

During his time in the Senate, Senator Frerichs has led efforts to eliminate the corrupt legislative scholarship program,[15] advocated for the disclosure of chemicals used in fracking,[16] funded improvements at the University of Illinois, Parkland College and Danville Community College while fighting to reduce Illinois' disparities in education funding.[17] After Governor Rod Blagojevich was removed from office for corruption, Frerichs moved to have the former governor barred from ever holding office again in Illinois. This motion, like the vote to remove him, carried unanimously.[18]

Electoral history

2006 General Election Results – Illinois’s 52nd Senate District [13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Frerichs 27,149 48.8%
Republican Judith Myers 26,607 47.8%
Socialist Joseph Parnaraukis 1,894 3.4%
Democratic gain from Republican
2010 General Election Results- Illinois's 52nd Senate District [19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Frerichs 32,583 61.5%
Republican Al Reynolds 20,450 38.5%
Democratic hold
2012 General Election Results- Illinois's 52nd Senate District [20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Frerichs 48,493 64.8%
Republican John Bambenek 26,310 35.2%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ Veeneman, Drew. "Map of 52nd District". precinctmaps.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Senator Michael W. Frerichs". Illinois General Assembly Legislative Information Service. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "97th Agriculture and Conservation". Illinois General Assembly Legislative Information Service. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "97th Enterprise Zone Extensions". Illinois General Assembly Legislative Information Service. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Biography". Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  6. ↑ "General Election – 11/3/1998 104th Representative". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  7. ↑ County Clerk Mark Shelden. "Official Results of Champaign County, Illinois General Election November 7, 2000 Final Summary". Office of the Champaign County Clerk. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  8. ↑ County Clerk Mark V. Shelden. "Official Results of Champaign County, Illinois General Election November 5, 2002 Final Summary". Office of the Champaign County Clerk. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  9. ↑ "County Board Meeting Minutes 19 December 2002". Champaign County Recorder. 
  10. ↑ "Office of the Champaign County Auditor – About the Office". 
  11. ↑ Monson, Mike. "Champaign County Auditor to seek seat". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  12. ↑ "Follow the Money - Illinois Senate 2006". 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "2006 General Election Results-Illinois's 52nd Senate District". 
  14. ↑ "Illinois Ag Connection Honors Mike Frerichs". 
  15. ↑ McFarland, Shannon. "Illinois Legislative Scholarships Ending? Senate Votes To End Controversial Program". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  16. ↑ Kacich, Tom. "State bills aim to control 'fracking' to extract natural gas". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  17. ↑ "About Mike". Friends of Frerichs. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  18. ↑ Quinn, Celeste. "Illinois Public Radio live coverage from the Illinois Senate, the impeachment trial of Governor Rod Blagojevich". Illinois Public Media, University of Illinois. Retrieved 2013-02-16. 
  19. ↑ "2010 General Election Results-Illinois's 52nd Senate District". 
  20. ↑ "2012 General Election Results- Illinois's 52nd Senate District". 

External links

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