Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar Lies in State Ahead of Springfield Funeral

Jim Edgar, the former two-term Republican governor of Illinois, passed away at age 79 after battling pancreatic cancer. He served as governor from 1991 to 1999, leaving office with a more than $1 billion budget surplus and was the last Republican in the state elected to multiple terms. Edgar is remembered for his pragmatic approach to governance, including his focus on controlling property taxes over income taxes and insisting that the state live within its means, which led to clashes with activists over Medicaid cuts. He is credited with pioneering campaign strategies that targeted independent suburban women, a demographic that has become essential for winning statewide races in Illinois since his 1990 election. Edgar's legacy as a bipartisan leader who served Illinois well has been honored with memorial services in Springfield, where he lay in state at the Illinois Capitol before being laid to rest at Central Baptist Church. Tributes from across the political spectrum highlight the respect he commanded for his leadership and fiscal discipline during his tenure.