Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a moderate Republican who guided the state through financial difficulties during the 1990s, died Sunday, September 14, at age 79 from complications related to pancreatic cancer treatment. Edgar publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in February 2025.
Edgar’s family confirmed his death in a statement Sunday, expressing gratitude for the support received during his final months. Despite his declining health, Edgar remained active until the end, making public appearances, including an August gathering for his 2025 Edgar Fellows program in Urbana, though he required an emergency room visit during the event.
Serving as Illinois’ 38th governor from 1991 to 1999, Edgar took office when the state faced hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and was paying bills months late. During a national recession, he pushed legislators to cut the state budget, implementing layoffs and reducing popular programs. He also fulfilled his campaign promise by making a temporary income tax surcharge permanent, providing stable funding for public schools.
Born in rural northeast Oklahoma, Edgar grew up in Charleston, Illinois, and attended Eastern Illinois University, where he was elected student body president. His political involvement began early – at age six, he ran Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1952 campaign in his elementary school’s mock election, establishing his Republican affiliation despite having Democratic parents.
Edgar’s political career began with his election to the Illinois House in 1976 at age 30. During his second term, Governor Jim Thompson appointed him as legislative liaison, then as secretary of state in 1981, a position he held for a decade before becoming governor.
As a moderate Republican, Edgar easily won reelection, including victories in heavily Democratic Cook County where Chicago is located. His reserved demeanor contrasted sharply with his flashy predecessor, James R. Thompson, the longest-serving governor in state history. Edgar reflected on his tenure to The Associated Press in 1998, stating: “It wasn’t always pretty how it was done, but we got a lot done.”
Edgar surprised political observers in 1997 by announcing he would not seek a third term despite his popularity. Republicans repeatedly tried to draft him for other offices, including bids for the U.S. Senate and another gubernatorial campaign, but he declined all offers.
In recent years, Edgar became increasingly uncomfortable with the Republican Party’s rightward shift. He was among prominent Republicans who opposed Donald Trump’s presidency, joining a campaign called “Republicans for Harris” to support then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential bid. This bipartisan approach earned him allies across party lines, including Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, who considered Edgar a friend and mentor.
Edgar’s stature in Illinois political history was elevated after his two immediate successors, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, served prison time for corruption. Ryan died in May 2025, just months before Edgar’s passing. Bob Kustra, who served as Edgar’s lieutenant governor, praised his former boss as a Republican whose integrity guided his time in office and who managed one of the most successful periods in Illinois state government.
Following his gubernatorial service, Edgar continued his commitment to public service through teaching and serving as president emeritus of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. He headed a bipartisan program developing future leaders from across Illinois, demonstrating his lifelong dedication to good governance.
Governor Pritzker announced that flags across Illinois would fly at half-staff in Edgar’s honor. The current governor praised Edgar’s commitment to reaching across the aisle and emphasized that his legacy would live on in the lives he touched and the institutions he helped build. Former Democratic Governor Pat Quinn also praised Edgar as a good and decent man who cared deeply about Illinois residents.
At a May 28, 2025, event at the Illinois State Library in Springfield, state leaders honored Edgar’s commitment to literacy and government processes. The event dedicated a reading room in his honor, recognizing his role in securing funding for the facility during his tenure as secretary of state. Pritzker noted that Edgar’s philosophy could be summarized in his well-known quote about the best politics being good government.
Edgar is survived by his wife and two children. His death marks the end of an era for moderate Republican politics in Illinois, representing what many consider a near-extinct breed of GOP leadership that prioritized bipartisan cooperation and fiscal responsibility over partisan politics.
