Kenneth G. McMillan
Kenneth G. McMillan is an American politician and educator.
Early life and career
Kenneth G. McMillan was born September 7, 1942 in Macomb, Illinois and raised on a farm near Walnut Grove, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned a bachelor of science in agriculture and a master of science in agricultural economics. He served as the assistant director of legislation and the assistant to the president of the Illinois Agricultural Association. He later joined the staff of Congressman Leslie C. Arends and served as a confidential assistant and chief speechwriter for Secretary Earl Butz. At the time of his election to the Illinois Senate he was Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois and producer of purebred Suffolk sheep.Politics
In the 1976 general election, McMillan defeated chairman of the Mercer County Board of Supervisors and Democratic candidate Walter E. "Red" Medhurst. In 1978, McMillan was reelected, defeating activist and Democratic candidate Kathryn Harris.The 47th district at the time included all of Hancock, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Mercer, and portions of Henry and Knox. McMillan served as a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate from 1977 to 1983. During the 80th Illinois General Assembly, he was a member of the Committees on Appropriations II; Elections and Reapportionment; and Agriculture, Conservation and Energy. He also served as a member of the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission.
McMillan ran for U.S. Congress in 1982 on a conservative platform and defeated moderate Republican incumbent Tom Railsback. At the time, his state senate district covered much of the western portion of the congressional district. McMillan however lost in the general election to Democratic challenger Lane Evans by 6%.