Michael Patrick Flanagan

Michael Patrick Flanagan (born November 9, 1962) is an American politician from Illinois, and a Republican. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives.

Flanagan, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, served in the United States Army from 1984 to 1988 (at Fort Sill, in Oklahoma, and at Fort Benning in Georgia), and 1991 to 1992 (during the Gulf War). He learned Greek at the Defense Language Institute. Flanagan is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Flanagan was elected to represent the fifth district of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, defeating 18-term Congressman and former Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski, becoming the first Republican to represent a significant portion of Chicago since 1967. Rostenkowski was under indictment during the election.

While a member of Congress, Flanagan served on the House Judiciary Committee, the House Government Reform Committee, and the Joint Committee on Telecommunications. He generally voted the Republican line.

While the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune both endorsed Flanagan for reelection in 1996, he was regarded as a heavy underdog against the Democratic challenger, State Representative Rod Blagojevich. As expected, the district reverted to form; Blagojevich soundly defeated Flanagan, and Bill Clinton easily carried the district. Flanagan's loss was one of the 12 seats first-term Republican candidates lost in the 1996 election. The Republicans have only put up nominal challengers in the 5th since then.

He is currently the president of Flanagan Consulting LLC in Washington D.C., and has been active in Illinois Boys State since 1979.