Jim Edgar

James Robert "Jim" Edgar (July 22, 1946 – September 14, 2025) was an American Republican politician. He was Governor of Illinois from January 1991 through January 1999. He was the Illinois Secretary of State from January 1981 through January 1991.

Edgar was a very popular governor. Even though Illinois is a Democratic state, he won in landslides as a Republican. He retired with high approval ratings.

Edgar was born on July 22, 1946 in Vinita, Oklahoma. He was raised in Charleston, Illinois. Edgar studied at Wabash College and at Eastern Illinois University. He is married to Brenda Smith.

In February 2025, Edgar was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died from problems caused by the disease on September 14, 2025 at a hospital in Springfield, Illinois at the age of 79.

References

Other websites
 Gov. Edgar reacts to the allegations against Gov. Rod Blagojevich  – link to speech, op-ed, and interview about the 2008–2009 Blagojevich scandal; from the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs

Category:1946 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:American Baptists
Category:Governors of Illinois
Category:Politicians from Oklahoma
Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians
Category:20th-century American politicians
Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer
Category:Cancer deaths in Illinois