Illinois Family Tree

Following is a (still partial) list of Illinois and/or Chicago politicians related to other politicians in the city and/or state:

Rod Blagojevich - Governor
His father-in-law is long-time, powerful Chicago city alderman, Richard Mell.

Lisa Madigan - Attorney General
Her father, powerful Democrat Mike Madigan, is Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives

Mayor Richard M. Daley - Mayor of Chicago
His father was Da Boss, the inimitable power-broker Richard J. Daley. His brother, John Daley, is on the Cook County Illinois Board, and is Chair of its Finance Committee. His other brother, William Daley, is the former Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton.

Jesse Jackson Jr. - U. S. Representative, 2nd District, IL
His father, Jesse Jackson, is the Founder and President of Rainbow/PUSH and twice ran for President of the United States

Daniel Lipinski - U. S. Representative, 3rd District, IL
His father, William Lipinski, held this Congressional seat for eleven terms (22 years). Throughout the 2004 primary campaign, the elder Lipinski went to great lengths to deny rumors that he intended to resign his seat. Then, after the primary which--in more democratic jurisdictions, is where the PEOPLE decide whom they want to run--Pops Lipinski exited the race and pulled the strings for his old-time political machine to "appoint" Junior as the Democratic candidate. Incidentally, until his "appointment", Junior had been a poli-sci professor living in Tennessee.

If you are aware of other familial connections, please add a comment to this blog and I will add the information. In addition, please comment regarding whether you think any of the above-reference politicians would have been able to win political office without the fame and/or connections afforded them by their familial political connections.