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Corinne Wood
Corinne Wood
44th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
	In office; January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003
Governor	George Ryan
Preceded by	Bob Kustra
Succeeded by	Pat Quinn
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives; from the 59th district
	In office; January 10, 1997 – January 10, 1999
Preceded by	Thomas F. Lachner
Succeeded by	Mary Beattie
Personal details
Born	Corinne Joyce Gieseke; May 28, 1954; Barrington, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 18, 2021 (aged 66)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Paul Wood
Children	3
Education	University of Illinois (BS); Loyola University (JD);
Profession	Attorney

Corinne Gieseke Wood (née Gieseke; May 28, 1954 – May 18, 2021) was an American politician who served as the 44th lieutenant governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003.^[1] She previously served as a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1997 to 1999.^[2] She was the first woman to become Illinois' lieutenant governor.

Early life

Corinne Gieseke was born on May 28, 1954, in Barrington, Illinois. Gieseke graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University. After graduation, Gieseke was named general counsel to the Illinois Commissioner of Banks and Trusts, later joining the Chicago law firm Hopkins & Sutter.^[3]

Illinois House of Representatives

Wood was elected as state representative to the 59th district in 1996.

While in the House, Wood served on the Aging, Appropriations-Education, Financial Institutions, and Labor & Commerce committees, as well as the Legislative Research Unit.^[2]

1998 Illinois gubernatorial election

In March, Ryan and Wood won their Republican primary elections, with Wood unopposed for lieutenant governor. In November, the Ryan/Wood ticket won the general election with 51% of the vote. Wood was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 11, 1999.^[4]

Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

As Lieutenant Governor, Wood was a frequent advocate across Illinois on several prominent issues, including rural affairs, economic development, and women's health. In December 1999, Wood gained national prominence for leading an internet campaign against Abercrombie & Fitch for sexually provocative pictures in the catalog, pushing for a boycott and letter-writing campaign.^[5]^[6]

She also launched a statewide campaign to increase funding for breast cancer research through the "A Check for a Cure" Illinois tax return check-off when she first entered office.^[3]

2002 gubernatorial campaign

In 2002, Wood sought the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois. Her fellow GOP contenders were attorney general Jim Ryan and state senator Patrick O'Malley. She ultimately lost the primary, finishing third with around 27% of the vote.^[7]

Personal life

Corinne was married to Paul Wood. They had three children.^[8]

Death

Corinne battled breast cancer in the late 1990s and announced that she was resuming treatment in January 2006.^[9] She died after a 15-year battle with the disease on May 18, 2021, aged 66.^[8]

References

^ "Illinois Blue Book 2003-2004" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. p. 468. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Illinois Blue Book 1997-1998". Illinois Secretary of State. p. 100. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Illinois Blue Book 1999-2000" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
^ "Election Vote Totals Results". February 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
^ Tribune, Chicago (June 16, 2001). "Politician's Web site blasts Abercrombie". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
^ "Join Lieutenant Governor Corinne Wood in her boycott against Abercrombie & Fitch". Archived from the original on June 23, 2001.
^ "Election Vote Totals Results". February 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Miller, Rich (May 19, 2021). "Corinne Wood". Capitol Fax. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
^ The State Journal-Register. "Former state official to fight cancer again". January 18, 2006

External links

Appearances on C-SPAN

Party political offices
Preceded by Bob Kustra	Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois 1998	Succeeded by Carl Hawkinson
Illinois House of Representatives
Preceded by Thomas F. Lachner	Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 59th district 1997–1999	Succeeded by Mary Beattie
Political offices
Preceded by Bob Kustra	Lieutenant Governor of Illinois 1999–2003	Succeeded by Pat Quinn