- Chris Lauzen
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Chris Lauzen Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 25th districtIncumbent Assumed office
1993Preceded by Forest Etheredge Personal details Born December 30, 1952
Aurora, IllinoisPolitical party Republican Spouse(s) Sarah Lauzen Profession CPA, Businessman Religion Greek-Catholic Christopher J. Lauzen is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992, has been re-elected to the State Senate in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010, and ran for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and Congress in 2008. Based on his voting record, he is a fiscal and social conservative.[1]
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State Senate
Senator Chris Lauzen was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1992 with the promise to "work hard, stay honest, and use common sense." He joined a group of newly elected conservative State Senators called the "Fab Five". As a member of the Fab Five, along with Dave Syverson, Steve Rauschenberger, Patrick O'Malley, and Peter Fitzgerald, Senator Lauzen consistently voted to limit the size of government, protect individual freedoms, expose corruption in both parties, and introduce fair accounting rules to the Illinois State Budget.[citation needed]
Currently, Lauzen serves on several committees, including the Property Tax Reform Committee, Appropriations I, II, and III, and the Revenue Committee, where he is the ranking Republican spokesman.[2] In recognition of his work on these committees and his consistent, pro-employment voting record, Senator Lauzen was honored by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce with the "Champion of Free Enterprise" award and the NFIB with the "Guardian of Small Business" award.[3]
Throughout his service, Lauzen has championed the Second Amendment, pro-life, and so called pro-traditional family legislation.[4] To promote business growth and lower taxes, Senator Lauzen sponsored the largest employment tax decrease in the past fifteen years, which has kept more than $250 million of excess unemployment insurance premiums in the Illinois economy. He co-sponsored the original property tax assessment freeze for homeowners over 65 years old with income less than $35,000. He worked to reduce property taxes on VFW and American Legion veterans’ posts by 85% and placed a cap on future increases. Lauzen also started “Illinois Porkbusters,” which seeks to cut $5,000,000 in waste each year from the state budget.[5]
As a supporter of effective public education, Lauzen has seen state funding for education in his senate district more than double, helped secure over $48,000,000 for school construction grants, sponsored education license plates for future teachers’ scholarships, and was the only Senator to speak against and vote “No” on providing 2/3 tuition discounts to illegal immigrants at public universities.[6]
To counter the rising costs of medical care, Lauzen launched a Prescription Medication Pilot Program that saved participants an average of 50% on the cost of drugs at no expense to the taxpayer.[7] He was also the original lead sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research voluntary check-off on the state personal income tax return. This check-off has raised more than $6,500,000 from voluntary contributions for breast cancer research in Illinois.
While in the State Senate, Lauzen has also sponsored a ban on partial-birth abortion, has supported term limits for State Legislators,[8] has tried to limit spending in the Illinois General Assembly, and has worked to reduce deficit spending in Illinois.
State Comptroller Campaign
In 1998, Senator Lauzen ran for Illinois State Comptroller to replace retiring Republican Comptroller Loleta Didrickson. The Comptroller acts as the Chief Accountant for the State. As a graduate of Harvard Business School and a personally successful accountant, Senator Lauzen campaigned on a platform of experience and a need for greater financial accountability in the State of Illinois. Chris Lauzen won the Republican Primary Election defeating Harry J. Seigle of East Dundee, but lost in the General Election to Democrat Dan Hynes, the son of Tom Hynes who was the former Cook County assessor, Illinois Senate President, and a member of the Democratic National Committee.[9]
Congressional Campaign
Chris Lauzen officially began his campaign for congress in Illinois's 14th congressional district on September 19, 2007.[10] Lauzen ran to replace Dennis Hastert, who retired mid-term.
Although Lauzen received endorsements from The Beacon News in Aurora, the Kane County Chronicle and the Daily Chronicle in DeKalb County, and the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, he lost the Congressional campaign. Lauzen received 44% of the Republican vote to Jim Oberweis' 56%.[11]
Although the district is solidly Republican, Jim Oberweis lost to Bill Foster, a Democrat, in the General Election.
Personal life
Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, Senator Lauzen earned his B.S., with Honors, from Duke University in 1974, an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1978, and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). [12]
After Harvard Business School, Lauzen returned to Aurora and worked as the President of Comprehensive Accounting Corporation where he helped teach over 300 accountants how to go into business for themselves. During his five years as President, the number of franchise offices tripled to 450 nationwide, pre-tax profit doubled, and the network of accountants served over 22,000 small business owners. He and his wife, Sarah, later purchased a Comprehensive Accounting franchise in Geneva, IL. In less than four and a half years, Lauzen was managing the books and tax preparation for more than 200 small businesses in the local area.[13]
Chris and his wife, Sarah, have four boys: Ted, Elliot, Hans, and Robbie. Ted graduated with High Honors from Duke University in 2007, married Sarah Burris of Delaware in 2010, and is now a pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Elliot graduated with Honors from Harvard University in 2009, completed his Masters in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California in 2011, and is currently working for an investment banking firm in Chicago, IL. Hans graduated with Honors from the University of Southern California, was commissioned into the United States Navy in 2011, and is presently deployed on a Navy Destroyer. And, Robbie graduated from West Aurora High School as the Valedictorian and now plays football for Darthmouth College in Hanover, NH.
Lauzen's grandparents emigrated from Romania to the United States in the early 20th century.[14] On July 28, 2006, Romanian President Traian Băsescu awarded Lauzen the Order of the Star of Romania Medal, Commander Rank (the highest commendation granted to a foreign citizen by Romania), in recognition of his work to "build bridges of friendship and commerce between the people of Romania and the United States." [14]
Electoral history
- 2010 Race for Illinois 25th Senate District[15]
- (R) Chris Lauzen 69.3%
- (D) Leslie Juby 30.7%
- 2008 Race for Illinois 14th Congressional Primary — Republican Party[11]
- Chris Lauzen 41%
- Jim Oberweis 56%
- Michael Dilger 2%
- 2006 Race for Illinois 25th Senate District
- (R) Chris Lauzen 65.0%
- (D) Frank Craig 35.0%
- 2002 Race for Illinois 25th Senate District
- (R) Chris Lauzen 100.0%
- 2000 Race for Illinois 21st Senate District
- (R) Chris Lauzen 64.9%
- (D) Stephanie Downs Hughes 35.1%
- 1998 Race for Comptroller
- (D) Dan Hynes 58.6%
- (R) Chris Lauzen 39.6%
- McIntosh Sadler II 1.7%
References
- ^ http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=6269
- ^ Illinois General Assembly website - Lauzen's page
- ^ [1]
- ^ Krol, Eric (2007-06-01). "Lauzen ready for a run at Congress". Daily Herald. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5273/is_200706/ai_n20575683. Retrieved 2008-01-24.[dead link]
- ^ "Lauzen Best Choice for Congress" http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=94916&src=
- ^ "Tom Roeser Show" http://tomroeser.com/sectionlist.asp?s=&month=8&year=2007
- ^ “Lauzen Looks North for Prescriptions” http://www.prescripnet.com/articles/article_prescriptions_Lauzen.htm
- ^ "GOP taking up cause of term limits in General Assembly" from Copley News Services on February 13, 1995. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
- ^ "Dan Hynes: Son of Democratic Royalty" http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/local-authority/dan-hynes-PEPLT007423.topic
- ^ Kraushaar, Josh (2007-09-15). "Conservative Enters Race For Hastert's Seat". The Politico (CBS News). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/15/politics/politico/thecrypt/main3263647.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
- ^ a b "Illinois - Summary Vote Results: U.S. House Special - District 14 - Dem Special Primary". Digital Chicago, Inc.. 2008-02-27. http://elections.suntimes.com/dynamic/files/elections/2008/by_state/IL_US_House_Special_0205.html?SITE=ILCHSELN&SECTION=POLITICS. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ "About Chris". Chris Lauzen State Senator. Friends for Lauzen (campaign organization). http://www.lauzen.com/about/. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ Meet Senator Lauzen Illinois Senate Republicans. Retrieved May 25, 2007
- ^ a b "Visiting President of Romania Awards National Medal of Romania to State Senator Chris Lauzen", July 28, 2006
- ^ http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/VoteTotals/2010GEOfficialVote.pdf
External links
- Illinois General Assembly - Senator Chris Lauzen (R) 25th District — official Illinois Senate website
- State Senator Lauzen — official website
- Senator Chris Lauzen — official GOP website
- Lauzen for Congress — official campaign website
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Media articles
- Illinois 14: New Lauzen Poll Shows Dead Heat, Stuart Rothenberg, The Rothenberg Political Report , November 6, 2007
- "I Should Have Known", Senator Chris Lauzen, Aurora Beacon News, November 16, 2004
Categories:- 1952 births
- Living people
- American Eastern Catholics
- Illinois State Senators
- Duke University alumni
- Harvard Business School alumni
- People from Aurora, Illinois
- Recipients of the Star of Romania Order
- American people of Romanian descent
- Romanian Greek-Catholics
- 2010 Race for Illinois 25th Senate District[15]
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