| Jerry Costello | |
| State: | Illinois |
| Term Start: | August 9, 1988 |
| Term End: | January 3, 2013 |
| Predecessor: | Melvin Price |
| Successor: | William Enyart |
| Constituency: | 21st district (1988–1993) 12th district (1993–2013) |
| Birth Name: | Jerry Francis Costello |
| Birth Date: | 25 September 1949 |
| Birth Place: | East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Georgia Cockrum |
| Education: | Southwestern Illinois College Maryville University (BA) |
Jerry Francis Costello (born September 25, 1949) is an American politician and former U.S. Representative for . He previously represented and served in the US House from 1988 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was the dean of Illinois's 21-member congressional delegation. In October 2011, Costello announced that he would not seek another term in Congress in 2012.[1] He was succeeded by William Enyart.
Costello was born in East St. Louis, Illinois and attended Catholic schools, graduating from Assumption High School. He was later educated at Maryville College of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis, from which he earned a bachelor's degree.
Costello worked in the law enforcement field. He served St. Clair County, Illinois as a court bailiff, deputy sheriff, and director of court services and probation. Costello later was chief investigator for the Illinois State Attorney’s office. In 1980, he was elected as chair of the St. Clair County Board. Costello served in this capacity as county executive until his election to the House.
Costello took office on in August 1988, after winning a special election with 51% of the vote, to fill the seat of the deceased Melvin Price.[2] He was elected to a full term that November with 53% of the vote.[3] After that, he received at least 60% of the vote in all of his re-election bids, until his retirement in 2012.[4]
Costello was the most senior member of Illinois' House delegation during his final term in office. On October 4, 2011, he announced he would not seek reelection in 2012.[5] Costello was succeeded by William Enyart, who was elected on November 6, 2012.[6]
Costello served on the National Leadership Committee of then-Senator Barack Obama's National Catholic Advisory Council during his 2008 election campaign.[7]
Shortly after the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, Costello was prominently mentioned as a possible cabinet choice for Secretary of Transportation; the nomination eventually went to fellow Illinois Representative Ray LaHood.
In 2011, Costello co-sponsored HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would strictly limit the situations in which abortion could be paid for by public funds.[8] Costello is a member of the Reformers Caucus of Issue One.[9]
In 2016, Costello was a presidential elector from Illinois.[11] Costello was originally intended to be an elector in the 2020 election as well; however, in the official vote he was replaced by Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch.[12] [13]
|-|-