Ann Callis

Callis received both her bachelor's degree magna cum laude and her Juris Doctor from St. Louis University. Callis is a native of Granite City, Illinois and is the daughter of deceased attorney and Democratic Party activist Lance Callis.{{cite news|last1=Bosworth|first1=Charles|title=New Judge Has Name Influential in Politics|publisher=St Louis Post-Dispatch|date=1994-12-16}}

Callis began her legal career as a prosecutor in the state's attorney offices of Madison County and St. Clair County.{{cite web|title=3rd Judicial: Ann Callis, non-partisan-Troy |url=http://www.bnd.com/2012/09/14/2323555/3rd-judicial-ann-callis-non-partisan.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130807144904/http://www.bnd.com/2012/09/14/2323555/3rd-judicial-ann-callis-non-partisan.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 August 2013 |publisher=BND.com |access-date=7 August 2013 }} Callis was sworn in as an associate judge to Illinois's Third Judicial Circuit in 1995. At the time of her selection for the court, she was the youngest of 21 candidates. In the same year, she was given the "lowest rating for legal ability among 152 judges in Illinois outside of Chicago" by an Illinois State Bar Association poll. Callis noted that she had not received any complaints about her performance, and the low rating reflected the fact that she had been on the bench only a few months and most lawyers had not appeared before her.{{cite news|last1=Bosworth|first1=Charles|title=New Judge Gets Low Marks in Poll|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P2-32934537/new-judge-gets-low-marks-in-poll|access-date=19 October 2014|publisher=St Louis-Post Dispatch|date=1995-04-27}} According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, prior to Callis' appointment there were "months of reports she had the job locked up because of her influential father" and she "was dogged early in her career by allegations that she got to the bench because of her influential father." She was named a circuit judge in 1999, and chief judge in 2006.

As a judge, Callis was involved with the creation of the first Veterans’ Court in Illinois, which received the national 2010 Paul H. Chapman Award. The court is run by veterans and provides services to county veterans.{{cite web|title=Callis wins Democratic nomination for 13th Congressional District |url=http://www.dailyillini.com/news/local/article_4bcfa832-af1b-11e3-906b-001a4bcf6878.html |publisher=Daily Illini |access-date=7 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806051254/http://www.dailyillini.com/news/local/article_4bcfa832-af1b-11e3-906b-001a4bcf6878.html |archive-date=6 August 2014 }}{{cite web|title=Veterans' Court receives national award|url=http://www.theintelligencer.com/local_news/article_3eb22ba9-2521-53d8-86e4-379c2c0defbe.html|publisher=Edwardsville Intelligencer|access-date=7 August 2014}}

Callis also created mediation programs aimed at helping homeowners and lenders avoid mortgage foreclosures.{{cite web|title=Madison County courts start program to avoid foreclosures|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/madison-county-courts-start-program-to-avoid-foreclosures/article_76615834-4f4b-5808-aec6-dc14046bd2e5.html|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|access-date=7 August 2014}}

In a 2012 poll of lawyers, Callis was recommended for retention, with 83.64% of those responding saying Callis "meets requirements of office." Three other judges from the 3rd Judicial Circuit received higher scores than Callis. Her lowest score in the judicial evaluations, 82.63%, was in the category "impartiality." Her highest scores were 98.8 in "health" and 92.77 in "sensitivity."{{cite web|title=Callis announces run for 13th District|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-05-07/callis-announces-run-13th-district.html|publisher=News-Gazette|access-date=7 August 2014}}

{{See also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois#District 13}}

Callis stepped down as a judge in 2013 in order to run for Congress in Illinois's 13th congressional district.{{cite news|last=McDermott|first=Kevin|title=A year and a half out, Callis makes it official for congress|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/a-year-and-half-out-callis-makes-it-official-for/article_474fe05b-ea1f-5209-860d-c5e33c140258.html|access-date=7 August 2013|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=6 May 2013}}{{cite news|last=Bossert|first=Jeff|title=Former Chief Judge to Challenge Davis in 13th District|url=http://will.illinois.edu/news/story/sources-former-chief-judge-to-challenge-davis-in-13th-district|access-date=7 August 2013|newspaper=Illinois Public Media|date=7 May 2013}}

The Chicago Tribune endorsed Callis's Democratic primary competitor, George Gollin, writing: "Callis sticks to safe talking points, occasionally name-checking Durbin. Her answers to our survey are carefully scripted, heavy on promises to protect seniors and middle-class families without explaining what she'd actually do."{{cite news|last=Kacich|first=Tom|title=Many Dems rally behind Callis in congressional primary, but papers endorsing Gollin|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-03-16/many-dems-rally-behind-callis-congressional-primary-papers-endorsing-gollin.ht|access-date=18 March 2014|newspaper=News-Gazette|date=2014-03-16}}

Callis won the Democratic primary on March 18, 2014. Callis lost to Republican incumbent Rodney L. Davis in the November 4, 2014, general election.{{cite news|last=Cahn|first=Emily|title=Ann Callis, Rodney Davis to Face Off in Targeted Illinois District|url=http://atr.rollcall.com/ann-callis-rodney-davis-illinois-primary/|access-date=19 March 2014|newspaper=Roll Call|date=2014-03-18}}

Callis was endorsed by Democratic senator Dick Durbin and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.{{cite news|last=Joseph|first=Cameron|title=Eyes on Illinois on Tuesday night|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/201110-eyes-on-illinois-on-tuesday-night/|access-date=18 March 2014|newspaper=The Hill|date=2014-03-18}} Her campaign was supported by Nancy Pelosi, who appeared at "When Women Succeed, America Succeeds, Women on a Roll" bus tour.{{cite news|last1=Sweet |first1=Lynn |title=Pelosi hits Chicago to rally women for Callis, Schneider |url=http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/pelosi-hits-chicago-rally-women-callis-schneider/tue-06032014-914am |access-date=27 June 2014 |publisher=Sun-Times |date=June 3, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124183954/http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/pelosi-hits-chicago-rally-women-callis-schneider/tue-06032014-914am |archive-date=24 November 2014 }}

Callis was endorsed by the national Veteran's Vision publication.{{cite web|title=National Veterans' group endorses Ann Callis for Congress|url=http://redecatur.com/national-veterans-group-endorses-ann-callis-for-congress/|publisher=Re:Decatur|access-date=7 August 2014}} She was also endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.{{cite web|title=Social Security advocacy group endorses Callis for 13th District |url=http://www.bnd.com/2014/03/11/3103445/national-advocacy-group-for-social.html |publisher=Belleville News Democrat |access-date=7 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809202545/http://www.bnd.com/2014/03/11/3103445/national-advocacy-group-for-social.html |archive-date=9 August 2014 }} Callis was endorsed by EMILY's List, who called her a "perfect foil" for incumbent Rodney Davis.{{cite news|last=Erickson|first=Kurt|title=Women's group endorses former Judge Callis in 13th District race|url=http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/women-s-group-endorses-former-judge-callis-in-th-district/article_28985c2c-ff00-11e2-8c4f-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true|newspaper=Pantagraph|date=6 August 2013}}{{cite web|title=Candidates: Ann Callis |url=http://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/ann-callis |website=EMILY's List |publisher=EMILY's List |access-date=24 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930185017/http://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/ann-callis |archive-date=30 September 2014 }}

In October 2014, Roll Call reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee would be cutting back initially planned ads supporting Callis in the second-to-last-week of the cycle, part of a larger series of cuts that "serve as a signal the party does not see a path to victory for these candidates or races."{{cite news|last1=Livingston|first1=Abby|title=DCCC Cuts Airtime in 8 TV Markets|url=http://atr.rollcall.com/dccc-cuts-ads-in-eight-tv-markets/|access-date=20 October 2014|publisher=Roll Call|date=6 October 2014|archive-date=20 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020093158/http://atr.rollcall.com/dccc-cuts-ads-in-eight-tv-markets/|url-status=dead}}

Callis supports the Affordable Care Act, saying: "We can't just shut down our government and cost our economy billions of dollars because we disagree with a law." When asked if she supported single-payer health care, Callis said: "I think we need to wait and see what the Affordable Healthcare Act does."{{cite news|title=Q&A: Ann Callis, U.S. House, 13th District|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-03-04/qa-ann-callis-us-house-13th-district.html|access-date=18 March 2014|newspaper=News-Gazette|date=March 4, 2014}}

Callis has two children: a son who is an Airborne Ranger, Captain and Company Commander with the 82nd Airborne Division, and a daughter who is an English Second Language teacher.{{cite news|last=Schoenburg|first=Bernard|title=Democrat Callis moving into role as candidate|url=http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x464928715/Bernard-Schoenburg-Democrat-Callis-moving-into-role-as-candidate|access-date=7 August 2013|newspaper=The State Journal-Register|date=12 May 2013}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20131002095131/http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Ann_Callis Judge Ann Callis] at Judgepedia
• [http://www.callisforillinois.com/ Ann Callis for Congress]
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=146237 | fec=H4IL13175 | congress= }}
• [https://twitter.com/callis4illinois Callis's Twitter Account]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv8eJYjW9k0 Faces of Justice: Ann Callis]
• {{ballotpedia|Ann_Callis}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Illinois Democrats

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Category:Saint Louis University School of Law alumni

Category:Candidates in the 2014 United States elections

Category:1964 births

Category:21st-century American women politicians