Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Sheila Simon
Sheila Simon, (b. March 13, 1961) was the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Simon, a Democrat, served in this position from 2011 to 2015. She was first elected lieutenant governor in November 2010, on a ticket with then-Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D).[1]
In March 2010, Democratic Party leaders selected Simon to share a ticket with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D). Votes had selected Scott Lee Cohen the month before, but Cohen soon withdrew amid criminal allegations.[2]
Simon was eligible for re-election as lieutenant governor in 2014, but she opted to run for state comptroller instead.[3] She secured the Democratic nomination in the primary on March 18, and faced Republican incumbent Judy Baar Topinka in the general election. Sheila Simon lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
A lawyer by profession, Simon was a staff attorney at the Domestic Violence Clinic at Southern Illinois University from 1998 to 2000. She was also Jackson County's prosecutor from 1994 to 1998, an attorney with the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, and a faculty member at the Southern Illinois University School of Law.[4]
Sheila Simon's father, Paul Simon, was a U.S. Senator and also served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1969 to 1973.[5] Her mother, Jeanne Hurley Simon, was a state representative in Illinois.[6]
Education
- Bachelor's, University of Wittenberg, 1983
- J.D., Georgetown University, 1987[4]
Political career
Lieutenant Governor (2010-2015)
In March 2010, Democratic Party leaders selected Simon to share a ticket with Gov. Pat Quinn (D). Votes had selected Scott Lee Cohen the month before, but Cohen soon resigned due to criminal allegations.[7]
The Quinn/Simon ticket defeated Republicans Bill Brady and Jason Plummer in the November 2010 general election.
Proposal to eliminate lt. governor office
On April 11, 2013, the Illinois House of Representatives approved a proposal seeking to [[eliminate the position of lieutenant governor by constitutional amendment. The Senate did not pass the measure and it did not appear on the 2014 ballot.
Carbondale City Council (2003-2007)
Elections
2016
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Illinois State Senate were held in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was November 30, 2015.[8] Incumbent David Luechtefeld (R) did not seek re-election.
Paul Schimpf defeated Sheila Simon in the Illinois State Senate District 58 general election.[9][10]
| Illinois State Senate, District 58 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Paul Schimpf |
60.56% | 59,735 | |
| Democratic | Sheila Simon | 39.44% | 38,905 | |
| Total Votes | 98,640 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
Sheila Simon ran unopposed in the Illinois State Senate District 58 Democratic primary.[11][12]
| Illinois State Senate, District 58 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Sheila Simon (unopposed) | |
Paul Schimpf defeated Sharee Langenstein in the Illinois State Senate District 58 Republican primary.[13][14]
| Illinois State Senate, District 58 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Paul Schimpf |
67.08% | 19,649 | |
| Republican | Sharee Langenstein | 32.92% | 9,641 | |
| Total Votes | 29,290 | |||
2014
Simon announced in February 2013 she would not run for re-election as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 2014 and would instead run for the office of state comptroller, challenging first-term incumbent comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka (R).[15]
Simon ran unopposed in the March 18 Democratic primary. She was defeated by Republican incumbent Judy Baar Topinka in the general election on November 4, 2014. Libertarian Julie Fox was also on the ballot.
Results
| Illinois Controller, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Judy Baar Topinka Incumbent |
49.6% | 1,775,983 | |
| Democratic | Sheila Simon | 45.7% | 1,636,593 | |
| Libertarian | Julie Fox | 4.8% | 170,534 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0% | 176 | |
| Total Votes | 3,583,286 | |||
| Election results via Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
2010
Simon was elected on a ticket with Pat Quinn. The pair defeated Bill Brady/Jason Plummer (R), Rich Whitney/Don Crawford (G), Lex Green/Ed Rutledge (L) and Scott Lee Cohen/Baxter B. Swilley (I) in the general election on November 2, 2010.[16]
| Governor and Lt. Governor of Illinois, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Pat Quinn & Sheila Simon Incumbent |
46.8% | 1,745,219 | |
| Republican | Bill Brady & Jason Plummer | 45.9% | 1,713,385 | |
| Independent | Scott Lee Cohen & Baxter Swilley | 3.6% | 135,705 | |
| Green | Rich Whitney & Don Crawford | 2.7% | 100,756 | |
| Libertarian | Lex Green & Ed Ruthledge | 0.9% | 34,681 | |
| None | Write-in | 0% | 243 | |
| Total Votes | 3,729,989 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results," accessed July 16, 2021
- ↑ Boston.com, "Ill. Democrats choose nominee after scandal," March 27, 2010
- ↑ Chicago Magazine, "What Happens After Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon Quits Pat Quinn’s Team," March 26, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Project Vote Smart, "Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon's Biography," accessed September 19, 2012
- ↑ Paul Simon Institute, "U.S. Senator Paul Simon," accessed July 16, 2021
- ↑ Paul Simon institute, "Jeanne Hurley Simon, " accessed July 16, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednominee - ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar," accessed November 30, 2015
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate list: General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election results, General election 2016," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Simon will not run again for lieutenant governor," February 13, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedelect
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pat Quinn (D) |
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois January 10, 2011 - January 12, 2015 |
Succeeded by Evelyn Sanguinetti (R) |
| |||||||||||||
