29 Facts About Evelyn Sanguinetti

Evelyn Sanguinetti is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019 under Governor Bruce Rauner.

Evelyn Sanguinetti was born in Hialeah, Florida to a Cuban mother and Ecuadorian father.

Evelyn Sanguinetti's mother was a Cuban political refugee who was able to escape Cuba by way of Puerto Rico in the early 1960s before settling in the mainland United States.

Evelyn Sanguinetti's father immigrated to South Florida in 1966 with his mother and brothers and ultimately settled in Hialeah.

Evelyn Sanguinetti's mother and father married in 1970, and Evelyn Sanguinetti was born on November 12,1970, when her mother was only 15.

On her election, Evelyn Sanguinetti became the first Hispanic Lieutenant Governor of Illinois as well as the first Latina Lieutenant Governor in the United States.

Evelyn Sanguinetti struggled in school, but ultimately found her footing in music through the piano.

Evelyn Sanguinetti went on to attend Florida International University and earned a bachelor's degree in music.

Evelyn Sanguinetti attempted to further a career in music by auditioning into the Manhattan School of Music, the Peabody Institute, and Jacobs School of Music.

Not receiving the reception that she had hoped for and not having the financial resources, Evelyn Sanguinetti decided to pursue a career in the law.

Evelyn Sanguinetti served as President of the Hispanic Student Association and the Fair Housing Association.

Evelyn Sanguinetti graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1998, and became a state Assistant Attorney General under during the tenure of then state Attorney General Jim Ryan.

In 2007, Evelyn Sanguinetti was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after an accident on a municipal sidewalk in Wheaton, Illinois.

In 2011, when Evelyn Sanguinetti was able to regain her ability to walk for sustained periods of time, Evelyn Sanguinetti decided to run for an At-Large position on the Wheaton City Council on a platform of infrastructure improvements and sidewalk maintenance.

Evelyn Sanguinetti won the election and served on the Wheaton City Council until December 2014 when she resigned to become Illinois Lieutenant Governor.

Evelyn Sanguinetti's tenure was marked by renewed investment into the city's infrastructure and fiscal responsibility.

Evelyn Sanguinetti won the Republican Primary in February 2014, and became the party's nominee for Lieutenant Governor.

In November 2014 The ticket of Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti defeated the Democratic ticket of Pat Quinn and Paul Vallas, and Evelyn Sanguinetti was thus elected to be the 47th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois.

Evelyn Sanguinetti took an active role in advocating Illinois' approach to the management and elimination of the Asian Carp invasive species population in Illinois waterways, while balancing the interests of Illinois' business, agriculture and shipping industries.

Evelyn Sanguinetti worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to help keep the invasive species out of Lake Michigan.

Evelyn Sanguinetti chaired the Military Economic Development Committee which coordinates the State's activities on and to act as a communication center for issues relating to current and former military bases in the State of Illinois.

Evelyn Sanguinetti worked with the Illinois General Assembly to help re-institute the committee and expand its use to preserve economic development associated with Illinois' military bases.

Evelyn Sanguinetti chaired the Opioid Prevention and Intervention Task Force for the State of Illinois.

Evelyn Sanguinetti worked to have two bills signed into law: SB 772 that requires physicians to use the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program to guard against doctor shopping; and SB 336 to allow those prescribed addicted opioids for pain to exchange those prescriptions for medical cannabis.

Evelyn Sanguinetti led a bipartisan effort to revive the Angel Investment Tax Credit in Illinois which helps small minority owned businesses.

Evelyn Sanguinetti, who chaired the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, worked with several state legislators on this bill, including Sen.

In 2020, after leaving public office and briefly running for Congress, Evelyn Sanguinetti became the executive director of Hope Fair Housing, a fair housing organization that was founded in 1968 with passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act and in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 2022, Evelyn Sanguinetti left her position as executive director to run for DuPage County Clerk.

Evelyn Sanguinetti is married with three children and lives in Wheaton, Illinois.