Alexi Giannoulias

“We passed the nation's first law to combat book bans because access to information is fundamental to our democracy.”

Alexi Giannoulias was sworn in as the 38th Secretary of State of Illinois in January 2023, succeeding longtime officeholder Jesse White. Born in Chicago to Greek immigrant parents, he studied economics at Boston University and earned his law degree from Tulane University.

Giannoulias previously served as Illinois State Treasurer, elected in 2006 as the youngest state treasurer in the nation, where he barred pay-to-play contributions and worked to protect Illinois jobs. He later chaired the Illinois Community College Board, overseeing the state’s community college system, and founded an investment firm backing Illinois-based companies.

As Secretary of State, Giannoulias has modernized the office, launching the popular Skip-the-Line appointment program to cut DMV wait times and championing first-in-the-nation Right-to-Read legislation to combat book bans in libraries. A lifelong Chicagoan, he has focused on customer service, protecting the freedom to read, and making state government more accessible.