Biggert, Judy, 1937-

Judith Borg Biggert (born August 15, 1937) is an American politician and attorney. A member of the Republican Party, she served as U.S. Representative for Illinois's 13th congressional district, serving from 1999 to 2013. Prior to serving in Congress, she served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 1998. After leaving Congress, she was appointed to serve on the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board.

Born Judith Gail Borg in Chicago, she was raised in Wilmette, graduating from New Trier High School before attending Stanford University, where she received a B.A. in international relations in 1959. She then attended Northwestern University School of Law where she was an editor of the Northwestern University Law Review from 1961 to 1963, earned a J.D. in 1963, then clerked for federal judge Luther Merritt Swygert of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1963 to 1964. Biggert left her federal court law clerkship to have her children, but later did some legal work from her home for family and friends on wills, trusts, and real estate. She served on numerous boards of voluntary and civic organizations.

Biggert was elected to the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education in 1978 and was a board member until 1985, serving as president from 1983 to 1985. She served as chairman of the Hinsdale Plan Commission from 1989 to 1993. She also became active in Chicago community organizations, serving as chair of the Visiting Nurses Association and as president of the Junior League. In 1992, Biggert was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives to serve the redrawn 81st District. She was re-elected in 1994 and 1996 before running for Congress in 1998. In the state legislature, she authored strict anti-crime laws and worked to balance the state budget without raising taxes.

In 1998 Biggert ran for a House seat representing the southwest Chicago suburbs which was vacated by retiring Republican Harris W. Fawell. After defeating a more conservative challenger in the Republican primary, she was elected with 61 percent of the vote. In each of her six re-elections, Biggert won by wide margins averaging more than 60 percent. Biggert made her mark in the House as an advocate for education reform, childcare for low income families, and expanded legal assistance for victims of domestic violence. She also introduced the Building, Renovating, Improving, and Constructing Kids’ Schools (BRICKS) Act in 2001 to address the “deplorable conditions” and “crumbling infrastructure” of elementary and secondary schools nationwide. After the 2010 Census, Biggert’s Republican district was redrawn by the Illinois legislature to favor Democrats. Biggert lost the 2012 general election to her Democratic opponent, former Congressman Bill Foster by 17 percent.

On April 23, 2015, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner appointed Biggert to the Education Labor Relations Board, which oversees the negotiation of teacher contracts.