Sen. Roland W. Burris
(D-Ill.)- Residence:Chicago
- Born:August 3, 1937; Centralia, Ill.
- Religion:Baptist
- Family:Wife, Berlean M. Burris; two children
- Education:Southern Illinois U., Carbondale, B.A. 1959 (government) ; Howard U., LL.B. 1963
- Military service:None
- Career:Lawyer; lobbyist; college instructor; civil rights nonprofit director; bank executive
- Political Highlights:Sought Democratic nomination for Ill. House, 1968; Department of General Services director, 1973-77; sought Democratic nomination for Ill. comptroller, 1976; Ill. comptroller, 1979-91; sought Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, 1984; Ill. attorney general, 1991-95; sought Democratic nomination for governor, 1994; independent candidate for mayor of Chicago, 1995; sought Democratic nomination for governor, 1998, 2002; U.S. Senate, 2009-present
- Appointed:2009; Appointed by Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, D, to replace Barack Obama, D, who was elected president
- Note: Will retire at end of current term. Burris announced he would not seek election in 2010 following his appointment to the seat
State Information
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | general | Barack Obama (D) | 3,597,456 | 70% |
| Alan Keyes (R) | 1,390,690 | 27% | ||
| Albert Franzen (I) | 81,164 | 1.6% | ||
| Jerry Kohn (LIBERT) | 69,253 | 1.4% | ||
| 1998 | general | Peter G. Fitzgerald (R) | 1,709,041 | 50.3% |
| Carol Moseley-Braun (D) | 1,610,496 | 47.4% | ||
| Don A. Torgersen (REF) | 74,704 | 2.2% | ||
| Raymond W. Stalker (Write-In) | 280 | |||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Barack Obama: 61.92% | John McCain: 36.78% | |
| 2004 | John Kerry: 55% | George W. Bush: 44% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 55% | George W. Bush: 43% | |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton: 54% | Robert Dole: 37% |
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population (2005):12,763,371
- Under 18:26.1%
- Over 65:12.1%
- Non-Hispanic White:67.8%
- Black:14.9%
- Hispanic:12.3%
- Asian:3.4%
- American Indian:0.1%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander:0.0%
- Median Household Income: 46,590
- Median Household Income Rank: 13
