Alexi Giannoulias, the incumbent Illinois secretary of state, is running for a second term in the Nov. 3 general election. The Chicago Democrat faces Republican Diane M. Harris.
Giannoulias has said his priorities include modernizing the secretary of state's office through digital services, expanding voter registration and strengthening ethics rules, according to his campaign website.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Illinois Secretary of State
- Residence: Chicago; lives with his wife, Josephine, and their four daughters, according to his campaign website
- Education: Bachelor's degree in economics from Boston University (1998); juris doctor from Tulane University
- Background: Born in Chicago to Greek immigrant parents, according to Wikipedia. His mother, Anna, is from Chania, Greece. His late father, Alexis, was from Kalavryta, Greece. Giannoulias said he graduated cum laude from Boston University, where he played on the men's basketball team that reached the 1997 NCAA tournament.
Experience and public service
Giannoulias has held elected office and private-sector roles, according to his campaign website and BallotReady profile data:
- Illinois Secretary of State (2023–present)
- Illinois State Treasurer (2007–2011)
- Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate (2010)
- Vice president and senior loan officer, Broadway Bank (2002–2006), according to his campaign website
- Founder, Kanela Breakfast Club Restaurant Group, according to his campaign website
- Adjunct professor, Northwestern University, according to his campaign website
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Giannoulias' responses on his campaign priorities page and through BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.
Digital services and office modernization
Giannoulias said he plans to expand the "Skip the Line" appointment scheduling program to every secretary of state facility in Illinois. He said he would draft legislation authorizing digital driver's licenses and state identification cards on residents' phones and encourage lawmakers to approve it during his first year in office.
He said he would introduce a secretary of state's office app for uploading documents, receiving renewal reminders and accessing services remotely. He also said he would assign "office advocates" to help individuals, with a focus on seniors, non-English speakers and others who need special assistance.
Voter registration and access
Giannoulias said he has proposed a change to the state's Automatic Voter Registration system. The change would add eligible voters to the rolls automatically during driver's license visits, without requiring additional steps from the voter.
He said he is proposing that Illinois allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, with automatic registration upon turning 18.
Ethics and government reform
Giannoulias said he supports requiring elected officials to disclose outside income, business relationships, ranges of payment amounts and from whom on their Statements of Economic Interest. He said he backs a two-year "revolving door" policy to prevent state lawmakers from becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving the legislature.
He said he supports a statewide searchable database of lobbyist registrations and expenditure reports, and expanding inspector general powers with more independence and subpoena authority.
Public safety and criminal justice
Giannoulias said he would push the state to provide ex-offenders with valid state identification cards before their release from prison, saying it would help reduce recidivism. He said he supports legislation that prohibited the state and municipalities from suspending driver's licenses over unpaid parking tickets and fines.
He also said he would add investigators, auditors and examiners to protect investors from fraud, at what he described as a cost-neutral or net revenue gain.
Environment and energy
Giannoulias said that as state treasurer he launched Green Rewards, which he described as the largest state-backed rebate program for fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles in the nation. He said he would continue encouraging incentives for electric vehicles and charging stations statewide.
Endorsements
Giannoulias has received endorsements from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, the AFL-CIO, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Personal PAC, Equality IL, the Chicago Federation of Labour, Cook County Democrats, IBEW Local 134, IUOE Local 150 and IUOE Local 399, according to BallotReady and Windy City Times.
Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady questionnaires and the candidate's campaign website. The Lake Forest Journal did not interview the candidate for this profile.
