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[[Image:Earleancollins.jpg|right|thumb|100px|Earlean Collins]]
''b. September 4, 1937''

'''Illinois General Assembly, State Senator  (1976 – 1998)'''<br>
'''Cook County, Cook County Commissioner (1998 - )'''

[http://www.cookcountygov.com/maps/cc_d1_2007.pdf 1st County Board District Map (large file)] 

== Clout and Influence ==
Earlean Collins began her political career during a time when Chicago saw the emergence of many influential African-American politicians that included [[Cardiss Collins]] (no relation), [[Emil Jones]], [[Danny Davis]], and [[Harold Washington]]. In 1976, Collins became the first African-American woman elected to the Illinois State Senate after defeating [[Raymond Welsh]], who was under indictment and an ally to then-Chicago Mayor [[Richard J. Daley]]. Collins's victory at the polls was credited to a growing independent movement on Chicago's West Side, which would come to elect [[Danny Davis]] to the Chicago City Council. Her former marriage to Illinois House Representative [[Otis Collins]], who Davis considered a "political godfather," may have also helped Earlean. 

In Springfield, Collins allied herself with an independent bloc of Democrats known as the "[[Crazy Eight]]," which held sway over the senate since the Democrats could not reach a majority without securing the group's votes.  Confrontations between the Crazy Eight and senate Democrats erupted during the 1977 election of senate president. Democrats wanted to elect Sen. [[Tom Hynes]] to the top spot but the Crazy Eight threw their support around Sen. [[Terry Bruce]]. The senate black caucus, however, supported Sen. [[Harold Washington]]. The Democrats compromised with the black caucus and named Sen. [[Kenneth Hall]] as assistant majority leader and Sen. [[Richard Newhouse]] as chairman of the Legislative Committee on Public Assistance. Washington was promised to be vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee and Collins vice chair of the Labor Committee. 

Over the years, Collins's independence but her at odds with other state Democrats. The party unsuccessfully attempted to oust Collins from her seat in 1979. Collins blamed the move on then-Chicago Mayor [[Jane Bryne]] but state senate leaders said it was due to Collins's unwillingness to cooperate with the party. After the incident, Collins began endorsing party candidates against some of her West Side allies. 

Collins exercised her political influence during the 1990s by seeking a more distinguished role in state government. Collins made a move for senate minority leader when the state GOP took control of the senate in 1992. She eventually backed down to her chief rival, [[Emil Jones]], and became one of his assistant minority leaders. Two years later, Collins ran for state comptroller. She narrowly defeated then-Kane County Coroner [[Mary Lou Kearns]] in the Democratic primary thanks partly to the support of [[Bobby Rush]], who was then the deputy chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. Collins however suffered a defeat in the general election. 

Collins refocused her sights on Cook County during an unexpected game of moving chairs when Illinois U.S. Congresswoman [[Cardiss Collins]] (again, no relation) announced she would retire in 1996. The announcement ignited a scramble for a successor in which Earlean's name was briefly floated around. The seat eventually went to [[Danny Davis]], who was at the time a Cook County commissioner of the 1st District. 

Davis quickly endorsed Earlean to replace him on the county board but other West Side politicians had someone else in mind— [[Darlena Williams-Burnett]], wife of Chicago Alderman [[Walter Burnett]]. Williams-Burnett won the appointment to the seat thanks partly to the backing of then-Cook County Recorder of Deeds [[Jesse White]]. But Collins won the Democratic primary against Williams-Burnett and went on to win in the general election with 80 percent of the votes. She wasn't the only fresh face on the Cook County Board either. Commissioners [[Michael Quigley]] and [[Gregg Goslin]] were also elected that year. 

Once elected, Collins proved to be the crucial swing vote and outspoken critic of the Stroger family.  In 2003, Collins gave the decisive vote in shooting down then-Cook County President [[John Stroger]]'s proposed budget that called for tax hikes. It was the first time in 30 years that the board successfully voted down a president's budget. She allied herself with Commissioners Quigley, [[Forrest Claypool]], [[Larry Suffredin]] and all five Republicans in exchange for a series of budget reforms that would have shifted power away from the president and to the board. 

Collins's vote would continue to be just as vital in other matters, including the appointment of Commissioner [[Bobbie Steele]] to interim president after the resignation of [[John Stroger]] in 2006. Ironically, Collins was also considered a likely candidate for the position. 

Collins is married to John Grant, a retired U.S. postal service employee, and has one son. 

== Employment and Electoral History ==
Before she became elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1976, Collins worked for the Department of Children and Family Services. 

Current Cook County Board Committees:

*Criminal Justice (Chair)
*Workplace, Job Development and Training Opportunities (Chair)
*Finance 
*Human Relations 
*Heath and Hospitals
*Legislation, Intergovernmental and Veterans Relations
*Roads and Bridges
*Zoning and Buildings

== Education ==
*University of Chicago, B.A., Sociology, Childhood Development
*Crane Junior College, Real Estate, Liberal Arts

== Important Political Events ==
*1976, elected Illinois State Senator, defeating [[Raymond Welsh]]
*1994, elected Democratic Party Nominee for Illinois State Comptroller, defeating [[Mary Lou Kearns]]
*1994, defeated for Illinois State Comptroller by GOP candidate [[Loleta Didrickson]]
*1998, elected Cook County Commissioner 

== Sources ==
http://www.co.cook.il.us/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_354_219_344_43/http%3B/backend.cookcountygov.com%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/cook_county/internet/government/commissioners_application/articles/earlean_collins.html<br>
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=6247<br>
http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=1902&category=PoliticalMakers<br>
http://www.russstewart.com/9-28-05.htm<br>
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=8964<br>
Return to Earlean Collins.
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