George Ryan
George Ryan | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1989 | |
| 39th Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Lieutenant | Corinne Wood |
| Preceded by | Jim Edgar |
| Succeeded by | Rod Blagojevich |
| 36th Secretary of State of Illinois | |
| In office January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 | |
| Governor | Jim Edgar |
| Preceded by | Jim Edgar |
| Succeeded by | Jesse White |
| 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 10, 1983 – January 14, 1991 | |
| Governor | Jim Thompson |
| Preceded by | Dave O'Neal (1981) |
| Succeeded by | Bob Kustra |
| 65th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 14, 1981 – January 10, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | William A. Redmond |
| Succeeded by | Arthur A. Telcser |
| Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 12, 1977 – January 14, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | James R. Washburn |
| Succeeded by | Mike Madigan |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 43rd district | |
| In office January 10, 1973 – January 10, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Judy Baar Topinka |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Homer Ryan February 24, 1934 Maquoketa, Iowa, US |
| Died | May 2, 2025 (aged 91) Kankakee, Illinois, US |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Ferris State University (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1954–1956 |
| Criminal information | |
| Criminal status | Released |
| Convictions | |
| Criminal penalty | Served over 5 years of a 6.5 year sentence |
George Homer Ryan (February 24, 1934 – May 2, 2025) was an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Secretary of State of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and as lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1991. He was later convicted of federal racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering, and tax fraud stemming from his time in office.
Ryan was elected governor in 1998, narrowly defeating Democratic Congressman Glenn Poshard. He received national attention for his 2000 moratorium on executions in Illinois and for commuting more than 160 death sentences to life sentences in 2003. He chose not to run for reelection in 2002 amid a scandal. He was later convicted of federal corruption charges stemming from the illegal sale of commercial drivers licenses which resulted in the deaths of six children while serving as secretary of state and spent more than five years in federal prison and seven months of home confinement. He was released from federal prison on July 3, 2013.