Gary Forby
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =|
| name=Gary Forby
| image name=
| state_senate=Illinois
| state=Illinois
| district=59th
| term_start=June 7, 2003
| term_end=January 11, 2017
| preceded= Larry D. Woolard
| succeeded= Dale Fowler
|state_house3= Illinois
|state3=Illinois
|district3=117th
|term_start3=January 2001
|term_end3=June 2003
|predecessor3=Larry D. Woolard
|successor3=John Bradley
| birth_date={{birth date and age|1945|01|04}}
| birth_place=Anna, Illinois
| death_date=
| death_place=
| spouse=Angie Forby
| profession= Farmer and business owner
| religion=
| party=Democratic
|}}
Gary Forby (born January 4, 1945) is a former Democratic member of the Illinois Senate. He represented the 59th District from 2003{{cite web|url=http://thesouthern.com/news/local/gary-forby-becomes-a-senator-today/article_7915a218-d37b-5238-9e53-9047dd073cec.html|author=Muir, Jim|title=Gary Forby Becomes a State Senator Today|publisher=The Southern Illinoisan|date=17 June 2003|work=thesouthern.com|accessdate=21 January 2015}} to 2017. The 59th Senate District includes Franklin, Hamilton, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Hardin, Pope, Massac, Johnson, Union, Pulaski and Alexander counties in Southern Illinois.{{cite web|url=http://elections.il.gov/Downloads/VotingInformation/PDF/2011Districts/2011SenDist59.pdf|author=|title=PA 97-0006 Legislative District 56|date=2011-05-18|accessdate=2015-09-07|publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031321/http://elections.il.gov/Downloads/VotingInformation/PDF/2011Districts/2011SenDist59.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}
He was previously a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003 before being appointed to fill former State Senator Larry Woolard’s vacant seat in 2003. He was defeated in his bid for another term on November 8, 2016.
Early life, education and career
Born in Anna in 1945, Forby is a Southern Illinois native. He currently lives in Benton with his four children and one grandchild and remains very active in a number of local community organizations such as the Shriners and the Elk’s Club. He has also been an active member of the Engineers’ and Laborers’ International Unions.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
Political career
Before being becoming a member of the General Assembly, Forby worked on his farm in Southern Illinois and as an excavating contractor at Forby Excavating, a small business based in Benton, Illinois.{{Cite web
| url = https://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/forby-finishes-out--year-term-in-senate/article_ee4b4c3e-0284-546a-8454-0ecae56602e0.html
| accessdate = 2020-03-09
| title = Forby finishes out 13-year term in Senate
| newspaper = The Southern
| author = Janis Esch
| date = 2017-01-10
}} Forby has served as the Chair of the Franklin County Board and as a member of the Benton Township Board. On June 17, 2003, Forby was appointed to the Illinois Senate to succeed Larry D. Woolard. On June 18, 2003, John Bradley was appointed to succeed Forby in the Illinois House of Representatives.{{cite news|last=Fodor|first=Eric|title=John Bradley takes oath in Herrin|newspaper=The Daily Register|date=June 18, 2003|via=NewsBank at Chicago Public Library}}
On March 20, 2012, Forby won the Democratic Primary with 12,692 votes (77% of those voting).{{cite web |url=http://elections.chicagotribune.com/results/il-senate/ |title=2012 Illinois primary results: Illinois Senate - Chicago Tribune |publisher=Elections.chicagotribune.com |accessdate=2012-03-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322221135/http://elections.chicagotribune.com/results/il-senate/ |archivedate=2012-03-22 }} He defeated Republican Mark Minor in the General Election. In 2016, Forby lost the race for the 59th district to Republican Dale Fowler.{{cite web|url=http://thesouthern.com/elections/fowler-bests-forby-in-th-district/article_6f5555f1-4959-5b4c-9650-6798cc0caf92.html|title=Fowler bests Forby in 59th district|date=November 9, 2016|publisher=The Southern|accessdate=10 November 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://my.ilga.gov/Member/Index/1914?tab=1&chamber=S Biography, bills and committees] at the 98th Illinois General Assembly
- By session: [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=98&MemberID=1914 98th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=97&MemberID=1698 97th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=96&MemberID=1491 96th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1292 95th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=94&MemberID=1074 94th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=93&MemberID=884 93rd]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111219044024/http://www.senatorforby.com/ Illinois State Senator Gary Forby] constituency website
- [http://garyforby.com/ Gary Forby for State Senator]
- {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=33626 | fec= | congress= }}
- [http://illinoissenatedemocrats.org/index.php/sen-forby-home Senator Gary Forby] at Illinois Senate Democrats
{{Illinois State Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forby, Gary}}
Category:Illinois state senators
Category:Members of the Illinois House of Representatives
Category:People from Anna, Illinois
Category:County board members in Illinois
Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly