Michael Casmir
From Usgs
| ||||
| United States Senator | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Office: 2008 - 2013 | ||||
| Preceded by | Richard Durbin | |||
| Succeeded by | Teddy Williams | |||
| Born | 19 June 1966 Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Political Party | Democratic Party | |||
| Spouse | Sandra Graham | |||
| Religion | Protestant | |||
Contents |
Childhood & Education
Michael was raised in Chicago, Illinois by his parents, Paul and Linda Casmir. Michael's father was a venture capitalist and his mother owned and operated a small business selling antique literature. Michael grew up working in his mother's small business, and excelled in school. He particularly enjoyed english and history, and became an adept writer during his high school years.
During his junior year of highschool, Michael started a local newspaper, the West-End Standard. The paper was well-received within the community, and was soon bought out by the Chicago Tribune for a significant sum of money by the time Casmir went to university.
Casmir was accepted into the University of Chicago, and managed to avoid student debts through multiple scholarships. Learning from his father, he invested his earnings from his newspaper into various promising startup firms in the Chicago area, and fared poorly on most investments. However, one of his investments paid off fanatastically, and Michael made several millions of dollars in returns.
Early Career
In 1990, already independently wealthy through further investment, Casmir graduated from the University of Chicago magna cum laude with a B.A. in economics and a graduate degree in international development. He soon began to take an interest in politics, but decided that he could hold the most influence in the private sector. He applied for, and was accepted into, a position at the Rockefeller Foundation as an international economic policy analyst. Through his work, Casmir travelled the globe, and experienced suffering and devastation that would influence him for years to come.
Political Career
By 1994, Casmir had returned to the United States and become in local Democratic politics. He swiftly rose through the ranks of the local Democrats, and was elected to Congress to represent Illinois' 4th district in 1996.
In 2008, Casmir was the Democratic candidate for the vacant senate seat in Illinois. Casmir ran a hard-fought campaign against John Pizzuto [R-IL], and won with 61.9% of the popular vote. Casmir continues to serve in the United States Senate.
In 2011, Casmir authored and introduced Libertycare, a comprehensive healthcare-reform plan to ensure universal healthcare coverage. Following on the heels of a national tour to promote Libertycare, Casmir announced the formation of a Presidential exploratory committee.
Personal Life
Casmir is married to Sandra, and has two kids, Josh (11) and Katie (8). He divides his time between Washington and Chicago.
Election Results
| Candidates | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Casmir [D] | 61.54 | |
| John Pizzuto [R] | 38.46 | |
| Total | 100% | |
External Links
| Preceded by Dick Durbin | Senator (Class 3) from Illinois 2009-13 Served alongside: Wolff | Succeeded by Teddy Williams |
| Preceded by Hillary Clinton | Democratic Party presidential candidate 2012 | Succeeded by Whitney Mason |
