Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the former lawmaker revealed Monday.
In a statement, the former governor said he and his wife, Brenda, are "facing a new, significant challenge."
"Doctors at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have determined I have pancreatic cancer that has spread," he said, in part. "They and physicians at Mayo Clinic are coordinating on a treatment regimen that I am following initially in Arizona, where we spend the winter, and later in Springfield when we return. We do not underestimate this challenge, but we have confidence in the medical team helping us address it..."
Edgar was Illinois' 38th governor, serving from 1991 to 1999. He began his career decades earlier, in the 1960s, by serving as an intern in the Illinois General Assembly. Edgar then served as a state representative for several years, following his election in 1976.
He was appointed Illinois Secretary of State in 1981 and won reelection two times - in 1982 and 1986. Edgar retired from public office in 1999.
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