Quick Facts
Biography
Raymond "Ray" Poe (born March 26, 1944) is a former Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 99th district from 1995 until 2015. He served as the minority spokesman on the House Personnel and Pensions Committee. In November 2015, he resigned his seat after he was appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Raymond Poe was the first person to announce his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor in the 2006 race. However, as the field got even more crowded, with many candidates for Governor having picked running mates, he realized his chances of winning in the Republican primary were slim. In December 2005, Illinois Senator Steve Rauschenberger ended his bid for Governor, choosing instead to run for Lieutenant Governor on a team with Ron Gidwitz, right after which Poe withdrew his candidacy to instead seek a 6th term in the House.