Raymond H. LaHood served as the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives (1982–1983) and United States House of Representatives (1995–2009).
Apart from Secretary LaHood’s achievements at the helm of the Department of Transportation, he has set an example for bipartisanship and leadership in Washington. As a lifelong Republican, Secretary LaHood worked across party lines and frequently reminded partisans that, “there is no such thing as a Democratic road or a Republican bridge.”
LaHood served from 1995-2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 18th District of Illinois, the same district once served by President Abraham Lincoln. Prior to his election to the House, he served as Chief of Staff to U.S. House Republican Leader Robert Michel, whom he succeeded in representing the 18th District.
