John Fritchey | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 12th district | |
| In office 2010–2018 | |
| Preceded by | Forrest Claypool |
| Succeeded by | Bridget Degnen |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 11th district | |
| In office 1996–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Rod Blagojevich |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen C. Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 2, 1964 Bossier City, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
John Alden Fritchey IV (born March 2, 1964) is a former Democratic Cook County Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Commissioners who represented the 12th district in Chicago from 2010 until 2018 and was a Democratic State Representative in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 11th District in Chicago from 1997 to 2010.[1] He additionally served as the elected Democratic Committeeman for Chicago's 32nd Ward from 2008 to 2012.[2] According to the Arab-American Institute, Fritchey was one of the longest-serving Arab-American officials in the United States.[3] He is presently President of F4 Consulting, Ltd.[4] In 1998, he created the John Fritchey Youth Foundation, designed to create educational and recreational opportunities for local children through the sponsorship of academic and sports programs.[5] He has additionally supported the Chicago Special Olympics as a repeated participant in the annual Polar Plunge.[6] He presently serves on the Board of Directors of Chicago Gateway Green, a non-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to the greening and beautification of Chicago's expressways, gateways and neighborhoods through landscape enhancement, litter and graffiti removal and the installation of public art.[7][8]
John Fritchey was born at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. His father, John Alden Fritchey III, was a United States Air Force Vietnam veteran and a native of Olney, Illinois, home to three generations of his family, while his mother emigrated from Oujda, Morocco.[9]
Fritchey and his mother moved to Chicago where he attended grammar school and high school at The Latin School of Chicago on a hardship scholarship. He then earned his bachelor's degree in Economics in 1986 from the University of Michigan before returning to Chicago to earn his J.D. degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 1989.[10][11]
After graduating from law school, Fritchey accepted a position as an Illinois Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Illinois in both state and federal court from 1989 to 1991.[11] Fritchey is an attorney in private practice[12] Fritchey also taught as an Adjunct Lecturer in Political Science at Northwestern University.[9] Fritchey is a lobbyist registered with the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.[13][14]
On February 18, 2021, WBEZ reported that Fritchey was one of 246 applicants for ten associate judgeships with the Cook County Circuit Court.[15]
In 1996, Fritchey was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives at age 32 becoming the first Moroccan-American elected official in the State of Illinois and likely the first Moroccan-American elected official in the Country.[16][17] From the moment he entered the General Assembly in Springfield, he began pushing for serious, common sense reforms that brought the respect of good government and consumer's rights groups from all over the ideological spectrum.[10] In 2003, John worked with then-State Senator Barack Obama to pass the most comprehensive ethics bill in the history of Illinois.[9] He was a champion of many issues, from ethics reform to consumer protection to health care to fairer taxes who consistently showed that he was not afraid to buck party leadership and stand up for his constituents and all of Illinois.[5]
He additionally helped pass legislation that strengthened environmental preservation laws, expanded protected wilderness areas, and increased investment in renewable energy. The Illinois Environment Council honored John for his 100% voting record on environmental issues impacting the community and its resources.[5]
In 2000, as a result of his effective leadership and centrist views, the national Democratic Leadership Council, a national voice for a reform movement reshaping American politics by moving it beyond the old left-right debate, named John as one of their "100 Rising Stars to Watch" in the country. In 2003, John was one of a select group to receive this honor for a second time.[18][9]
Fritchey was Chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee from 1999 to 2002. John later served as the Chairman of the Civil Judiciary Committee and as Vice-Chairman of the Business & Occupational Licenses Committee. In addition to serving in these leadership positions, John sat on the Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Mass Transit Committees and was appointed to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.[5]
As State Representative, Fritchey addressed a variety of issues on behalf of IIllinois residents. These included:
Fritchey was one of many candidates who ran for former US Representative Rahm Emanuel's seat in 2009 Illinois's 5th congressional district special election.[26][27] In the primary election on March 3, 2009.[28] Fritchey finished second to Mike Quigley in the 12-way race for the Democratic Party nomination.[29]
On February 5, 2008, Fritchey was elected as the Democratic Committeeman for Chicago's 32nd Ward, responsible for handling the Party political operations (voter registration, election day operations, etc.) within the ward.[30][31]
In 2010, Fritchey left the Illinois General Assembly in order to run for a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, formerly held by Forrest Claypool. Fritchey was endorsed by both Claypool and Congressman Mike Quigley.[32] Fritchey won the election with 75 percent of the vote.[33]
As commissioner of the 12th district, Fritchey addressed a variety of issues on behalf of Cook County residents. These included:
Fritchey left the office upon the swearing-in of his successor, attorney and successful 2018 Democratic primary challenger Bridget Degnen.[55]