Penny Pullen
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 55th district
In office
1977–1992
Preceded byRobert Juckett
Succeeded byRosemary Mulligan
Republican National Committeewoman
from Illinois
In office
1984–1988
Personal details
Born(1947-03-02)March 2, 1947
Buffalo, New York
Political partyRepublican

Penny Pullen (born March 2, 1947) is an American politician and conservative activist. Pullen spent eight terms in the Illinois General Assembly representing a district in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Pullen also served on various presidential commissions and is best known for her work on anti-abortion causes.[1][2]

Background

Born in Buffalo, New York, Pullen was raised in Park Ridge, Illinois. She was part of the first graduating class of Maine South High School in 1965 where she was classmates with Hillary Clinton.[3] Pullen received her bachelor's degree in communications from University of Illinois at Chicago. Pullen worked as a television production technician, reporter, editorial assistant, and proof reader. She then worked as a staffer for State Representative Robert Juckett while in college and eventually ran to replace him following his death.[4]

Political career

In 1976, Pullen was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a Republican at age 29.[5] She served for 16 years, eventually rising to the position of assistant minority leader.[5] In 1980, Pullen successfully passed a bill that repealed the state's inheritance tax.[6] President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the National Council on Educational Research in 1982.[7]

Pullen also served on the board of the American Legislative Exchange Council focusing mainly on education issues.[8] She opposed ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and worked alongside other conservative leaders like Phyllis Schlafly and Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. to defeat the proposal in Illinois.[7][9][10] From 1984 to 1988, Pullen served as the Republican National Committeewoman for Illinois.[11][2]

Pullen passed numerous bills related to HIV/AIDS during her tenure including one that required mandatory AIDS testing for marriage-license applicants in Illinois.[12] The marriage testing bill was later repealed after only 18 positive cases were found from 65,500 tests.[13]

Pullen with President Reagan during the launch of the AIDS Commission at the National Institutes of Health on July 23, 1987

On July 23, 1987, Pullen was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic.[14][15] Pullen would later be noted for her role in an Illinois law she sponsored which became the model for other states' criminalization-of-hiv-transmission laws.[16]

During her time in the legislature, Pullen became a leader in the anti-abortion movement in Illinois. Following the United States Supreme Court's ruling upholding a Missouri abortion statute in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Pullen proposed similar laws in Illinois.[17]

In 1990, Pullen ran for re-election in the Republican primary against Rosemary Mulligan, an abortion rights supporter.[18] After the first count, Mulligan was named the winner by 11 votes. The courts then ordered a recount that left the vote tied, and so a coin toss was used to break the tie. Mulligan won the coin toss. Pullen then appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, which did their own recount that left Pullen the winner. The race gained national attention for its focus on abortion and groups on both sides of the debate contributed heavily to the candidates.[19][18] The recount case was later cited by Vice President Al Gore's legal team during the 2000 Florida recount as precedent for counting "dimpled chads".[20]

Pullen was appointed to the board of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.[21]

In 1992, Mulligan ran again and defeated Pullen in the Republican primary.[22] Following the loss, Pullen served as the first executive director of the Illinois Family Institute.[23] Pullen has also served as the President of the Illinois state chapter of the Eagle Forum.[24]

Pullen was a supporter of the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns of Rick Santorum.[24][25]

Notes

  1. ↑ Secter, Bob. "Abortion Emerging as Year's No. 1 Issue in Many Local Elections Across the U.S.: Politics: Activists on both sides are amassing war chests and targeting key candidates over their stands on the question". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Court Rules Abortion Opponent Won Illinois Legislative Primary". The New York Times. September 22, 1990. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  3. ↑ Mogharei, Phoebe. "From the Vault: When Hillary Clinton Was a Teenage Republican". Chicago. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  4. ↑ Karwath, Rob. "Pullen Leads Abortion Foes' Fight". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  5. 1 2 'Illinois Blue Book 1991–1992,' Biographical Sketch of Penny Pullen, pg. 95
  6. ↑ "Other Taxes". Illinois Issues. Sangamon State University. July 1980. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Hardy, Thomas. "Pullen a Backer of AIDS Testing". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Nomination of 10 Members of the National Council on Educational Research, and Designation of Chairman". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  9. ↑ Apple Jr., R.W. (March 23, 1992). "THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Women, Female Candidates Poised for Breakthroughs in 1992". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  10. ↑ McCormmick, Patricia. "June 30, 1982: The Day the ERA Dies". UPI. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Rep. Wojcik to Seek National GOP Post". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  12. ↑ Boodman, Sandra. "Premarital AIDS Testing Annoying Many in Illinois". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Abortion Foe Seeks to Void Loss". The New York Times. April 19, 1990. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  14. ↑ 'Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States Ronald Reagan, 1987,' Biographical Sketch of Penny Pullen, pg. 862-863
  15. ↑ Gherardini, Caroline, ed. (September 15, 1987). "Pullen appointed to presidential commission studying AIDS". Illinois Issues. Sangamon State University. p. 66. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  16. ↑ Rhodes, Adam M. "When crime goes viral". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Pearson, Rick. "Abortion Foes Seek Law Like Missouri's". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Brotman, Barbara. "Abortion Rights Activists Cheering Pullen Defeat". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  19. ↑ Balz, Dan. "Battle Over Abortion Proceeds on Several Fronts". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  20. ↑ Geller, Andy. "There's Precedent for 'Dimples'". New York Post. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  21. ↑ Marcus, Ruth. "Recess Appointments Fill Legal Services Board". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Rosemary Mulligan, former Illinois lawmaker, dies at 73". abc7chicago.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Penny Pullen". Life Advocacy Resource Project. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  24. 1 2 Zahm, Jon (December 27, 2011). "Santorum Campaign Hunts IL Delegates and Petition Signatures". Illinois Review. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  25. ↑ Robb, Tom (January 28, 2016). "Local Candidates For Presidential Delegate". Journal and Topics. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
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