Former Attorney General Jim Ryan | Courtesy of the Ryan family
Former Attorney General Jim Ryan | Courtesy of the Ryan family
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul honored the memory of former Attorney General Jim Ryan, who died Sunday.
“Illinois has lost great lawyer, leader and statesman. Jim Ryan demonstrated a commitment to public service and public safety often overcoming personal adversity in order to do so. He was gracious enough to advise me as I began my term as Attorney General. May he rest in peace,” Raoul said in a statement.
Ryan was the last Republican Attorney General of Illinois, serving from 1995 until 2002.
"Jim was too honest and authentic for a career in politics but he was as good a public servant as Illinois has ever known," said John Pearman, a longtime top aide for Ryan in the Attorney General's office. "He never stopped trying to help people -- women, children, crime victims. He was tireless and incorruptible.”
Ryan ran for governor of Illinois in 2002, but was defeated by Rod Blagojevich, who was later imprisoned for attempting to trade a U.S. Senate seat left vacant following Barack Obama's election to the presidency.
He ran for governor again in 2010, but came in fourth place in the Republican primary, trailing front-runner Bill Brady, who would lose to Pat Quinn.
Ryan was succeeded by Lisa Madigan, whose campaign was largely backed by her father, former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is under indictment on 22 counts of corruption.
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