Patrick Daniel Welch (December 12, 1948 – January 7, 2020) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of 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 ...

, representing the 38th district from 1983 to 2005. He served as an Assistant Majority Leader during his final term.

Early life

Patrick Welch was born on December 12, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended college earning a Bachelor of Arts in Government from

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...

and a J.D. degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Illinois Senate

Welch first entered the

after winning what was thought to be a strongly Republican district against Betty J. Hoxsey in the closest Illinois Senate election of 1982. During his time in the Illinois Senate he was appointed to the Illinois Task Force on Global Climate Change, and proposed saving taxpayers money by eliminating the office of

Lieutenant Governor of Illinois The lieutenant governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. In Illinois, the lieutenant governor and governor run on a joint ticket and are directly elected by popular vote. Gubernatorial candidates select their ...

During his tenure Welch was a perennial target of the

Illinois Republican Party The Illinois Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Illinois founded on May 29, 1856. It is run by the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, which consists of 17 members, one representing each of th ...

, but managed to defeat major efforts to unseat him including a $500,000 spending effort in 1990 and a 700 vote margin of victory in 1994. He lost election in 2004 to Gary G. Dahl.

Death

He died of complications of a stroke on January 7, 2020, at age 71. He was also suffering from dementia prior to his death.

References

External links

Illinois General Assembly - Senator Patrick Welch (D) 38th District
official IL Senate website
BillsCommittees
*''Follow the Money'' - Patrick Welch
2004200019981996
campaign contributions

profile {{DEFAULTSORT:Welch, Patrick 1948 births 2020 deaths People with dementia People from Peru, Illinois Lawyers from Chicago Politicians from Chicago Southern Illinois University alumni Chicago-Kent College of Law alumni Democratic Party Illinois state senators 20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly 21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly