Darin LaHood

Darin LaHood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 18th district
Assumed office
September 17, 2015
Preceded by Aaron Schock
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 37th district
In office
March 1, 2011 – September 10, 2015
Preceded by Dale Risinger
Succeeded by Chuck Weaver
Personal details
Born (1968-07-05) July 5, 1968
Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Kristen LaHood
Children 3
Residence Dunlap, Illinois
Alma mater John Marshall Law School
Loras College
Profession Attorney
Religion Roman Catholic

Darin McKay LaHood (born July 5, 1968) is a Republican politician from Peoria, Illinois, who is the United States Representative for Illinois's 18th congressional district. Prior to being elected to Congress, he was a member of the Illinois Senate representing the seven-county 37th legislative district.[1]

LaHood is the son of Ray LaHood,[2][3] the former United States Secretary of Transportation and before then the seven term congressman from the district his son currently represents. He has called himself a fiscal conservative focused on budget issues.[4] While his father was a moderate Republican, LaHood is considered to be more conservative.[5][6]

Early life

LaHood was born in Peoria, Illinois to Ray and Kathy LaHood, as the eldest of four siblings, and went to Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute there.[7] He graduated from Loras College in Iowa, and later went on to receive his J.D. from John Marshall Law School.[7]

Career as an attorney

LaHood was a prosecutor in the Tazewell County state's attorney's office and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada in Las Vegas.[8] On returning to Peoria in 2005, he took up private law practice; as of 2011 he is in the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall & Triggs.[4]

Political career

He ran for Peoria County state's attorney in 2008, losing to twenty-year incumbent Kevin Lyons by a margin of 43,208 to 36,449. He has also been involved in several other Republican campaigns, including Bill Brady's 2010 campaign for governor and Dan Rutherford's campaign for Illinois Treasurer.[4]

He was appointed to the Illinois Senate on February 27, 2011, at the age of 42,[4] and took office March 1, the day after Dale Risinger retired.[9] When appointed, LaHood announced he would run for election to a full term in 2012, which he won, running unopposed.[4][10]

On July 7, 2015, LaHood defeated Mike Flynn 69%-28% in the GOP Primary to become the Republican candidate for Illinois's 18th congressional district, replacing Aaron Schock. He faced the Democratic candidate Rob Mellon in the September 10 special general election,[11] easily defeating him with a large percentage of the vote, making him the Member-elect of the United States House of Representatives for Illinois's 18th congressional district.[12] He was sworn in by House Speaker John Boehner on September 17, 2015.[13]

Personal life

LaHood lives in Dunlap with his wife Kristen; they married in 1992. They have three children: McKay, Lucas, and Teddy.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Illinois General Assembly - Senator Biography". Ilga.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  2. ↑ Dahl, Dave. "Illinois Senate passes workers’ comp reform". Wjbc.com. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ "US Congressman Ray LaHood (Archived version from 2003)". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Darin LaHood gets nod to replace Risinger on senate". The Register-Mail. Galesburg, Illinois: GateHouse Media. February 27, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  5. ↑ Dewey, Jim (March 31, 2015). "Darin LaHood Announces Candidacy". Quincy Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Jack (March 25, 2015). "Illinois GOP Finds an Anti-Schock to Replace Aaron Schock". National Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Felsenthal, Carol (July 22, 2015). "Darin LaHood Is Running as the Anti-Aaron Schock". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ Heath, Brad; McCoy, Kevin (December 28, 2010). "Prosecutor misconduct lets convicted off easy". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  9. ↑ McDonald, Karen (March 1, 2011). "LaHood eager to serve (Darin LaHood sworn in as newest state senator)". Peoria Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois: GateHouse Media). p. B1. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Re-election assured for unopposed candidates". Pjstar.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kaergard, Chris (July 7, 2015). "Darin LaHood easily wins GOP nomination for 18th District seat". Journal Star (Peoria).
  12. ↑ "Darin LaHood wins special election to replace ex-U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock". Chicago Tribune. September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ "LaHood takes seat in Congress once occupied by Schock". Chicago Tribune. September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  14. ↑ "ABOUT DARIN". lahoodforcongress.com. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  15. ↑ "LaHood announces bid for Congress to fill Schock vacancy". Illinois Review. March 18, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Aaron Schock		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 18th congressional district
September 10, 2015 – present 		Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Trent Kelly		 United States Representatives by seniority
435th 		Succeeded by
Eleanor Holmes Norton
as U.S. Delegate
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