RAW DATA: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The following is a brief biography of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was first elected in 2002 and whose second term expires in January, 2011.
Born: Dec. 10, 1956, Chicago
Home: Chicago
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Education: Northwestern University, B.A. 1979, Pepperdine University, J.D. 1983.
Religion: Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status: Married, wife Patti.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Elected Office: Illinois House of Representatives, 1992-96; U.S. House of Representatives, 1996-2002.
Professional Career: Practicing attorney, 1984-96; Assistant Cook County Attorney, 1986-88.
Rod Blagojevich was elected governor of Illinois in 2002, the first Democrat elected to the office since 1972.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He grew up in Chicago, the son of a Serbian immigrant who worked at the A. Finkl & Sons steel works on the North Side; his mother worked as a ticket-taker for the Chicago Transit Authority.
He lived in a five-room walkup near Cicero and Armitage and worked as a shoeshine boy and a dishwasher on the Alaskan pipeline.
Blagojevich graduated from Northwestern and Pepperdine Law School and was a Golden Gloves boxer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He practiced law and worked two years in State's Attorney Richard M. Daley's office.
He got his start in politics through his father-in-law, 33d Ward Alderman and Democratic Ward Committeeman Richard Mell.
In 1988, he got a job on Mell's staff; in 1992 he was elected to the Illinois House.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His opportunity to run for the U.S. House came after Republican Michael Flanagan upset Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski in 1994. Flanagan, who had little backing, was obviously a one-termer. In 1996 Blagojevich outspent Flanagan and won 64 percent to 36 percent.
Blagojevich was first elected Illinois governor in 2002; he was re-elected in 2006.
Blagojevich had talked with Democratic allies about running for president as early as November 2002, but he made no moves to enter the 2008 race.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Source: Almanac of American Politics