Fairley announces AG bid
Tuesday, Oct 10, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Former federal prosecutor and criminal justice reform expert Sharon Fairley announced her candidacy for Attorney General of Illinois on Tuesday, launching her campaign in the March 2018 Democratic primary.
Fairley is seeking the position after incumbent Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced last month she would not run again for the seat, which she has held since 2003.
Fairley spent eight years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois under the leadership of former U.S. Attorneys Patrick Fitzgerald and Zach Fardon. Most recently, she served as Chief Administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, an agency which she designed and built from the ground up in the aftermath of the release of video of the death of Laquan McDonald in 2015. Prior to her work at COPA, Fairley served as First Deputy and General Counsel to the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General.
“My experience–as a former federal prosecutor, and as a leader in criminal justice reform here in the City of Chicago–will allow me to provide that leadership as we work for progressive change in our justice system and in our communities,” said Fairley at a press conference announcing her campaign launch on Tuesday.
Fairley said, as Attorney General, she’d focus on combating the unconstitutional attacks on civil rights, voting rights, immigrant communities and religious freedoms, among other areas.
“Here in Illinois, our Attorney General must stand up against corruption and oppose the eroding of consumer protection and government accountability,” she added.
Fairley earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and holds an MBA in Marketing from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Fairley, who grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, lives in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community on the Southwest Side. She is the mother of two adult children.
If elected, Fairley would be the first African American woman to hold the Attorney General’s seat in Illinois history.
Fairley seeded her new campaign with $20,000 the other day.
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
About time a woman announced.
- Roman - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
I will vote for the first AG candidate who publicly admits that — because of statutory limits — the office plays little to no role in fighting corruption.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:17 pm:
===I will vote for the first AG candidate who publicly admits that — because of statutory limits — the office plays little to no role in fighting corruption===
Me too. Usually that’s the incumbent having to educate a whole state, so now this time, that might be a good touchstone.
===”My experience–as a former federal prosecutor…”===
Great. Now Drury will have to tout his own “former” credentials more, if that’s even possible.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:21 pm:
Interesting match ups. Several qualified candidates.
Whoever is elected the voters win.
But to the current candidate, in summary, it’s on like Donkey Kong.
- WellActually - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
To the first person who commented, are you kidding me?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
Kinda odd they didn’t mention she was an A.A.G. at one point as it’s the same office.
- cgo75 - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
She should be able to do lots of creative things from a marketing/advertising perspective with the name Fairley.
- TopHatMonocle - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Wow a whole $20,000. How quaint.
Good to know someone in this race was a former federal prosecutor though.
- jim - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 1:32 pm:
sounds like a brilliant person, which, of course, does not mean she has much of a chance.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
“graduated from Princeton University with a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering..”
About time we get a rocket scientist into the AG’s office.
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 2:25 pm:
“Jack Franks” is a no http://www.nwherald.com/2017/10/10/mchenry-county-board-chairman-jack-franks-says-he-wont-run-for-illinois-attorney-general/adxk73q/
So I think the only declareds so far are:
Scott Drury
Kwame Raoul
Aaron Goldstein
Sharon Fairley
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
There will be three former Federal prosecutors which will really P.O. Drury. In addition to Fairly and Drury, a TV talking head and former federal prosecutor named Renato is also circulating petitions. So is Jesse Ruiz, former head of the state board of education and vice chair of the CPS board, Highland Park Mayor (and failed Congressional Candidate) Nancy Rotering and two others. And that before anyone from downstate runs. Gonna be a big field.
- Anon57 - Tuesday, Oct 10, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
@Anon @ 2:42 - who are the two others?
Do you mean:
Scott Drury
Kwame Raoul
Aaron Goldstein
Sharon Fairley
Renato
Jesse Ruiz
Nancy Rotering
. . . plus two others?