Illinois's 11th congressional district election, 2006

ushr|Illinois|11| election 2006

Jerry Weller

Republican Jerry Weller, who was part of the 1994 Republican Revolution in which the GOP took control of Congress, was reelected with 59% of the vote in 2004. In 2006, Weller faced Democrat John Pavich, who if elected would have have become the youngest member of Congress. Weller defeated Pavich, 55% to 45%, a narrower margin than expected. Weller was born in Streator, Illinois to LaVern and Marilyn Weller, [Project Vote Smart. [http://www.vote-smart.org/extended_bio.php?can_id=CNIP0580 Weller extended biography] . Accessed October 23, 2006.] and raised on his family's hog farm in Dwight, Illinois. Weller is a 1979 graduate of the University of Illinois where he received his degree in agriculture. Weller has been married twice.

Weller was a staff member for state representative Tom Corcoran from 1980 to 1981, assistant to the director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and an aide to Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block from 1981 to 1985. In 1988, Weller was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where he served until 1994. Weller was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 following the retirement of Democrat George Sangmeister. Weller defeated New Lenox attorney Robert T. Herbolsheimer in the Republican primary, and Democrat Frank Giglio in the general election.

John Pavich

John J. Pavich (born 1976) is an American attorney and was the Democratic Party nominee. for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 11th Congressional District in Illinois ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/il11_109.gifmap] ). Pavich grew up in Lynwood, Illinois. He graduated from Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois in 1994. In 1998 Pavich graduated from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin with degrees in International Studies and Russian Area Studies. He married college sweetheart Kelly Coleman in 2000. He later obtained his J.D. from Loyola University, Chicago. Following law school, Pavich served on the legal defense team of former Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska president Biljana Plavšić before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Pavich's father served as lead counsel for Dr. Plavšić. After the 9/11 events, Pavich joined the Central Intelligence Agency, working in counterterrorism for the National Clandestine Service from 2003 to 2005. [http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-sweet04.html] Pavich then returned to Illinois to practice law and start a family. He and his wife and their one-year-old son currently reside in Beecher, Illinois

References

* [http://www.pavichforcongress.com Official campaign site]
* [http://www.un.org/icty/glance/plavsic.htm Case information sheet for Biljana Plavšić]
* [https://www.cia.gov/careers/clan_aboutcomm.html Clandestine Service description]