Mike Quigley was elected to Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th District on April 7, 2009. A former Cook County Commissioner, Quigley has served his community for over twenty years.


He began his career serving as an aide to former 44th Ward Alderman Bernie Hansen and became a champion for environmental protection, equal rights, and ethical, open government.


As the Commissioner from Cook County’s 10th District, Quigley fought for transparency, accountability, and fiscal sanity, earning the reputation as an honest and effective leader on reform.


During his time on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Quigley sponsored every piece of major environmental legislation adopted by Cook County government, and still regularly participates in local clean-up and restoration efforts, earning him awards from the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club. The Chicago Reader has said he is “arguably the greenest elected official in Chicago.”


Quigley has also fought for equal rights for those in the LGBT community, additional protections for victims of domestic abuse, and a woman’s right to choose.


A staunch advocate for government reform and accountability, Quigley wrote several revolutionary memos laying out detailed plans for the “reinventing” of Cook County government, to make it more efficient and more responsive to its citizens.


Quigley did his undergraduate work at Roosevelt University, earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a law degree from the Loyola University School of Law, all in Chicago. He also served as an adjunct professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago and Roosevelt University, lecturing on politics, the environment and local government. He was a practicing lawyer for almost twenty years.


Congressman Quigley sits on the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and has continued his strong commitment to those issues important to him and the 5th District.


Quigley lives with his wife Barbara, daughters Alyson and Meghan, and two dogs in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood where he has lived since 1982. In his free time, he roots for the Cubs and enjoys playing ice hockey.

Blog Entries by Mike Quigley

Gunning for Chicago

17 Comments | Posted October 2, 2009 | 11:05 AM (EST)


As the City of Chicago digests the news of today’s Olympics decision, we must not overlook the news that came out of Washington earlier this week that will directly impact our neighborhoods, with or without the Games.

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to review McDonald vs. City of...

Read Post

Do You Think 700 Million Dollars is a Lot of Money?

Posted January 29, 2009 | 02:06 PM (EST)


These days, state and local governments are struggling to make ends meet, provide services to citizens and balance their budgets. They're scrounging for every penny they can find.

What if I told you we could have an extra 700 million dollars for Cook County?

Last year, Todd Stroger told us...

Read Post

All I Want for Christmas Is a Modernized Cook County Government

Posted December 18, 2008 | 04:42 PM (EST)


The Chicago Tribune editorial board rightly chastised President Todd Stroger and a majority of my colleagues on the County Board this morning for trying to stuff coal in taxpayers' stockings by borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars--just months after hiking sales taxes. The Tribune editorial also pointed to

Read Post

Blogging Where the Sun Don't Shine

Posted August 25, 2008 | 07:12 AM (EST)


Twenty years ago this month--on August 8, 1988, to be exact--the Chicago Cubs attempted to play their first-ever night game at Wrigley Field. Mother Nature was apparently a silent member of Citizens United for Baseball in Sunshine (CUBS), the scrappy neighborhood group demanding "no lights" at Wrigley, because rain...

Read Post