Rod Blagojevich

Rod R. Blagojevich (born December 10 1956) is a U.S. Democratic Party politician from Illinois. He is, as of January 2004, the governor of that state.

Blagojevich was born and raised in Chicago. He began his political career as an attorney, became a member of the Illinois state House of Representatives in 1993 and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996. He was reelected in 1998 and 2000. In the 2002 gubernotorial election, he defeated his Republican opponent, Jim Ryan 52% to 45%.