Bean, Melissa L. (Melissa Luburich), 1962-

<p>After more than 20 years in the technology industry, Melissa Bean turned her sights on Congress and fought an unlikely battle to oust a longtime House veteran to get there. In her three terms, Bean advocated for a balanced budget and strong safety precautions for children on the internet. “One of the reasons I came to Congress was to bring real world business perspective to government,” she once said. “In the business world, accountability and results matter.”</p>

<p>Melissa Bean was born Melissa Luburich in Chicago, Illinois, on January 22, 1962, and adopted by George and Victoria Luburich, who had three other children. Growing up around her father’s engineering firm, Bean knew from an early age that business was her professional calling. She graduated from Maine East High School just northwest of Chicago in 1980, and she earned an associate’s degree at Oakton Community College two years later. To pay her way through school, Bean worked part-time at a technological company that quickly promoted her. Roughly a decade later, she started her own consulting company. She married Alan Bean in 1985, and together they had two daughters. Bean continued to take classes throughout her career and completed her bachelor’s degree in political science at Roosevelt University in 2002, during her first House campaign.</p>

<p>A self-described “underdog,” Bean entered her first race for the House with essentially no political experience. In 2000 she had campaigned for a Democratic House candidate, Lance Pressl, in his unsuccessful run against Republican incumbent Philip Miller Crane, who had represented the western Chicago suburbs since 1969. Bean surprised friends by announcing her candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Crane. She introduced herself to voters by frequenting train stations, grocery stores, and bingo games. She called residents at night and handed out packages of jellybeans to remind voters of her name. Bean argued Crane had become out of touch with the district over his long tenure. In the 2002 general election, Bean managed to capture nearly 43 percent of the vote—providing Crane with one of the fiercest challenges in decades. Although Bean lost, she came away with the sense that the district was “ready for change.”</p>

<p>Melissa Luburich Bean (born January 22, 1962) is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2011. Bean is a member of the Democratic Party.</p>

<p>Bean attended Maine East High School before graduating from Oakton Community College with an associate degree in 1982 and from Roosevelt University in 2002 with a bachelor's degree. Prior to her election to Congress, she was president of a home-based business, Sales Resources Inc.</p>

<p>In 2002, Bean ran against 73-year-old 8th District Republican incumbent Phil Crane, a 33-year incumbent. Bean attacked Crane for taking numerous lobbyist-funded trips. She lost, but gained 43% of the vote. This was unexpected since she had received very little funding from the national party. The 8th had historically been the most Republican district in the Chicago area, and by some accounts was the most Republican district in all of Illinois. Bean's performance was even more notable since the 8th had reportedly been redrawn to protect Crane.</p>