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Political affiliation: Democratic Party

City: Chicago

Marital status: Divorced

Occupation/Firm name: Incumbent Secretary of State

Campaign HQ address: 1933 N. Marcey Street, Chicago, IL 60614

Campaign website: www.jessewhite2010.com

What is your campaign budget- One million dollars

What are your top priorities for the office- For challengers, would you move in a direction different than the course set by Jesse White-

Our top priorities have been, and will continue to be making the roads of Illinois as safe as possible, fighting the culture of corruption which we inherited in the Secretary of State's office, and using technology to improve customer service. We have made great strides in the office to the point of changing public perception, but I am always looking for ways to make improvements. My goal is to be the best Secretary of State in Illinois history.

Given the state's budget crisis, what would you cut or scale back in the secretary of state's office- For the incumbent, what have you already cut-

Our office budget is appropriated by the General Assembly. In the past, we have requested our employees to take furlough days, implemented a hiring freeze except for critical positions, drastically cut back on printing and travel costs, and cut overtime pay. I will be taking 12 furlough days this year.

What are your plans to make operations in the secretary of state's office more efficient, more automated and more consumer friendly-

We have brought more services than ever online and greatly reduced the waiting time at our driver's license facilities. Internet transactions have increased by almost 80% in the last few years, accounting for over $80 million. We have developed a first-rate job training program which includes cross-training to have employees learn different office skills beyond their specific responsibilities, and classes for the employees to better understand customer service.

The secretary of state often champions certain causes related to the duties of the office. Would you do the same- If so, what issues would you focus on-

I have always been interested in helping young people, and for that reason I took a special interest in improving the graduated driver's license program, now one of the best in the country. Since its inception, we have seen a 52% decrease in teen fatality crashes.

I have also taken a strong interest in the fight against drunk driving by working to toughen penalties for offenders and by requiring the Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) for first-time offenders.

We have aggressively encouraged organ donation to the point where Illinois has one of the largest donor registries in the country.

Are the penalties for DUI violations sufficient- Would you support increasing them-

Illinois law on DUI is strict, and I am pleased to see that more judges are handing down tougher sentences for those convicted. I worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to pass the BAIID law, and I am optimistic that it will have a very positive impact on reducing crashes caused by drunk drivers.

For teens, should the age or the process for getting a driver's license change in any way-

The law in Illinois for a teen to get a driver's license is age 16. However do to one of the provisions in our new graduated driver license law, a nine month permit requirement, most teens are closer to 16 1/2 before they qualify for the license. We are very pleased with the early results of our new law, and we believe that it will produce a better, more experienced young driver, and fewer teen driving fatalities.

How would you improve the services currently provided to Illinois businesses by the secretary of state's office-

Our administration has great respect for the business community and we have made major progress in the service we provide. We have shortened the time it takes for a business that is functioning in Illinois to register with the Secretary of State. Before I became Secretary of State, businesses were registering in other states and Illinois was losing revenue.

Through our efforts, companies doing business in Illinois no longer have to duplicate their work by filing with the local Recorder of Deeds. This saves businesses money and time. Also businesses can register online, or go to our Web site to inquire about other businesses.

We successfully ran the Illinois Tax Amnesty program, which brought in millions of dollars for the state treasury, and received praise from the state chamber of commerce.

How would you improve public access to data generated by the secretary of state's office-

I am a strong believer in the public's right to know how its government is spending its resources. We have expanded greatly the amount of information we have online, and will continue to do so.

Two areas of making information available to the public that I am especially proud of are looking up lobbyist information on our Web site from the Index Department and the ability of parents to go online to check their teen's driving record.

My Information Technology Department is always looking for ways to make information more accessible and I am pleased that we have received much praise for having one of the top government Web sites in the country.

Should the Legislature make any changes to the campaign finance law passed in 2009- Would you support capping donations from party leaders during general elections-

Yes. I also think there should be a cap on donations from the legislative leadership as well as the party leaders.

This office regulates lobbyists. Do you think there should be tougher sanctions for unethical lobbyists- Should lobbyists be required to divulge how much they are paid by each client-

The previous law was very limited as to the Secretary of State's authority. The Index Department was only able to receive the lobbyist filing with no authority to investigate irregularities. The new law gives my inspector general power to pursue inappropriate filings, and I believe this is a major step forward.

List your educational background

Lincoln Park High School

Alabama State University, Bachelor of Science

Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong

Founder and Coach of the Jesse White Tumblers

Share Your Soles

Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government-

State Representative 1976-1992

Cook County Recorder of Deeds 1992-1998

Secretary of State 1999-present

Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government

My daughter Glenna, who holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting, and who served as the Director of Accounting/Revenue, is a member of my senior staff.

Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed

-Robert Lozins: $25, 000

-Operating Engineers Local 399, Political Education fund: $11,000

-Chicago Auto Trade PAC of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association: $10,000

-Illinois Community Currency Exchange PAC: $10,000

-Global Water Technology, Inc.: $6,000

Please paste a brief biography here

Jesse White is Illinois' 37th Secretary of State. White was first elected to the office in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002 by winning all 102 counties and garnering more than 2.3 million votes - the largest vote total by any candidate for Illinois statewide office in a quarter of a century. In November 2006, Jesse White was re-elected to a third term having received 63 percent of the vote statewide.

The Illinois Secretary of State's office is the largest and most diverse office of its kind in the nation, providing more direct services to the people of Illinois than any other public agency. White's office issues state ID cards, vehicle license plates and titles; registers corporations; enforces the Illinois Securities Act; administers the Organ Donor Program; and licenses drivers and maintains driver records. As State Librarian, Secretary White oversees the State Library and literacy programs, and as State Archivist, he maintains records of legal or historic value.

Prior to his election as Secretary of State, White served as Cook County Recorder of Deeds - a job to which he was first elected in 1992 and re-elected in 1996. Before that, he served 16 years in the Illinois General Assembly, representing the most culturally, economically and racially diverse district in Illinois.

In 1959, White founded the internationally known Jesse White Tumbling Team to serve as a positive alternative for children residing in and around the Chicago area. Since its inception, more than 10,700 young men and women have performed with the team. White has spent more than 47 years working as a volunteer with the team to help kids stay away from gangs, drugs, alcohol and smoking, and to help set at-risk youth on the path to success. The program has received international praise. In 2006, the team made more than 1,500 performances throughout the nation.

White served our country as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division and as a member of the Illinois National Guard. He played professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs organization, which was followed by a 33-year career with the Chicago public school system as a teacher and administrator.

Jesse White earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) in 1957, where he was a two-sport athlete earning all-conference honors in baseball and basketball. In May 1995, White was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. He was an all-city baseball and basketball player at Chicago's Waller High School (now Lincoln Park High School) and was inducted into the Chicago Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June 1995. In 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama State University Sports Hall of Fame. Born in Alton, Illinois, he now lives on Chicago's near north side.

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