Donald Lee Totten (February 19, 1933 – April 2, 2019) was an American mechanical engineer and politician who served in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 representativ ...

from 1973 to 1981 and in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

from 1981 to 1983. He also served as chairman of the

Cook County Republican Party The Cook County Republican Party is an American county-level Political parties in the United States, political party organization which represents voters in 50 ward (politics), wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County ...

Early life and career

Totten was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He lived with his family in

Ridgewood, New Jersey Ridgewood is a Village (New Jersey), village in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Ridgewood is a suburban commuter town, bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown M ...

. Totten attended Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood and

Perkiomen School Perkiomen School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory, boarding and day school located in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. Perkiomen admits students in grades 6–12 and offers a one year educational option for post-graduate students. ...

Pennsburg, Pennsylvania Pennsburg is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population was 3,889 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Upper Perkiomen School District. It is also part of the strip of small towns that run together along Rou ...

. In 1955, Totten received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

. In 1955 he moved to Illinois and worked as an industrial plant engineer.

Political career

He was involved with the Republican Party and with Schaumburg Township Republican Party Committee. Totten served in the

from 1973 to 1981 and in the

from 1981 to 1983. In 1982, Totten ran for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor, finishing third behind

Susan Catania Susan Catania (; December 10, 1941 – November 27, 2023) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1973 to 1983. She was involved in Women's rig ...

and Republican nominee

George Ryan George Homer Ryan (February 24, 1934 – May 2, 2025) was an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Secretary of State of Illinois from 1991 ...

. From 1985 until March 1988, Totten was the chairman of the

. Totten helped manage the midwestern operations of the presidential campaigns of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

in 1980 and 1984, and served as the Illinois coordinator for the presidential campaign of

Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp (July 13, 1935 – May 2, 2009) was an American politician, professional Gridiron football, football player, and U.S. Army veteran. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party from New York, he served a ...

in the 1988 Republican primaries. He also served on the Regional Transportation Authority in Illinois.

Death

Totten died from heart failure at his daughter's house in

Cornelius, North Carolina Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb of Charlotte and part of its metropolitan area. The population was 31,412 at the 2020 census, up from 24, ...

.'Illinois Blue Book 1981-1962,' Biographical Sketch of Donald L. Totten, pg. 74

Notes

1933 births 2019 deaths People from Ridgewood, New Jersey Politicians from Brooklyn Politicians from Cook County, Illinois Ridgewood High School (New Jersey) alumni University of Notre Dame alumni American mechanical engineers Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Republican Party Illinois state senators 20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly {{Illinois-Ilrepresentative-Republican-stub