Meet mike
Mike Quigley wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Mike's Dad, an orphan, grew up in the Depression and became a union worker on a microwave tower for AT&T. Mike remembers his Mom, a teacher, had to make two baskets of groceries last weeks when the union went on strike for better wages and benefits.
Mike worked his way through college, attending Roosevelt University in Chicago, the same school that produced his former Congressional colleague Bobby L. Rush. Mike later earned his JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and a master's degree in public policy from University of Chicago. Mike’s daughter attended Chicago Public Schools.
Mike served as a chief aide to Alderman Bernie Hansen, then won a seat on the Cook County Board in a crowded primary where he was wildly outspent. Quigley made his name by challenging the Chicago political machine. His “Reinventing Cook County” reports exposed waste and patronage, leading to competitive bidding, spending cuts, and modernized operations. His independence and fiscal discipline earned him a reputation as a taxpayer’s advocate.
In 2009, Mike won the Illinois 5th District seat despite being outspent 10-to-1 in a field of 12 candidates. Serving on the House Select Intelligence Committee, Mike knows how to keep Chicago safe from threats. And from his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, Mike brings home important investments in housing and transportation, including $2.1 billion to extend the CTA Red Line into the Far Southside and rebuild the Purple Line.
Mike still plays hockey every weekend and is a rabid Cubs and Blackhawks fan. He lives a stone’s throw from Wrigley Field with his wife, Barb, and their two dogs, Maisy and Finneas.
a track record
of standing up for chicago
Passed the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance update (2002), providing the first explicit legal protections for transgender Chicagoans
Co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act (H.R. 1384) to expand universal healthcare access
Secured over $2 billion in federal funding for the CTA Red Line Extension (2024), helping bring long-overdue transit equity to the South Side
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) to codify federal protections for same-sex marriage
Led the Bird-Safe Buildings Act (H.R. 9197, 2020) to reduce bird collisions in federal buildings
Supported the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (ongoing federal funding) to protect regional water and environment
Called for recognition of a Palestinian state (2019) in support of a two-state solution
Supported the Women’s Health Protection Act to safeguard abortion access nationwide
