John R. Schmidt is a lawyer and former United States Associate Attorney General who served from 1994 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton.
Schmidt ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Illinois in the 1998 primary, losing to Congressman Glenn Poshard.
[1] He then ran for the Democratic nomination for Illinois Attorney General in 2002, losing to Lisa Madigan.
He previously served as the first Chief of Staff for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Schmidt is a partner in the Chicago law firm of Mayer Brown LLP.