Jesse White (politician)

Jesse White
White in 2015
37th Secretary of State of Illinois
In office January 11, 1999 – January 9, 2023
Governor	George Ryan Rod Blagojevich Pat Quinn Bruce Rauner J. B. Pritzker
Preceded by	George Ryan
Succeeded by	Alexi Giannoulias
Cook County Recorder of Deeds
In office December 1, 1992 – January 11, 1999
Preceded by	Carol Moseley Braun
Succeeded by	Eugene Moore
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office January 8, 1975 – December 1, 1992
Preceded by	James Houlihan
Succeeded by	Robert LeFlore
Constituency	8th district (1983–1992) 13th district (1975–1983)
Personal details
Born	Jesse Clark White (1934-06-23) June 23, 1934 (age 90) Alton, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
Education	Alabama State University (BA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1957–1959
Unit	101st Airborne Division  • Illinois National Guard

Jesse Clark White (born June 23, 1934) is an American educator, politician and former athlete from the State of Illinois. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 37th Secretary of State of Illinois from 1999 to 2023. He was the longest-serving American to hold this office. A popular office holder, White declined to seek reelection in 2022 for a seventh term.^[1] Previously, he served as the Cook County Recorder of Deeds from 1993 to 1999 and in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1975 to 1993.

Raised in Chicago, White attended Alabama State University on a sports scholarship. He was a minor league baseball player in the 1950s and 1960s. During that time, he also formed a youth sports and community organization, the Jesse White Tumbling Team, which has continued throughout his several careers. White went on to become a teacher and administrator in the Chicago Public Schools.