Mike Frerichs

Mike Frerichs was born in Champaign, Illinois. Frerichs received a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1995. His professional experience includes teaching English at schools in Illinois and Taiwan, managing Smart Structures LLC, a safety engineering firm for civil structures in the United States and China, and founding his own technology business.[1][2]

Mike Frerichs has not yet completed [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Send a message to Mike Frerichs asking him to fill out the survey.

If you are Mike Frerichs, click here to fill out [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out the candidate survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete [the profile publisher]'s Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's [the profile publisher] profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 32,000 candidates have taken [the profile publisher]'s candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Mike Frerichs to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@mikeforillinois.com.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Mike Frerichs was born and raised in the small, downstate farming community of Gifford, in east-central Illinois (population 911 in 2020). His father was a union truck driver and his mother worked as a secretary at the University of Illinois. After graduating from college, he spent two years in Taiwan, where he taught English to young students and learned to speak Chinese. He came home to Gifford where he served as a volunteer firefighter and helped found a technology business.

He was elected to the Champaign County Board and later elected Champaign County Auditor. In 2006, he was elected Illinois State Senator representing east-central Illinois. He was first elected Illinois State Treasurer in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.

He is married to Erica. He has a teenage daughter, Ella. They reside in Champaign.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As State Treasurer Mike Frerichs earned more than $1 billion for taxpayers and has consistently been awarded the top AAA rating for the Illinois Funds investment pool. The Chicago Tribune endorsed him saying “track records matter and Frerichs has consistently shown himself to be skilled at handling Illinois’ investment portfolio…” And the Daily Herald endorsed Frerichs observing that “investments and retirement plans don't generate the kind of exciting headlines you get in an election year…” but Frerichs has been a taxpayer advocate “not through words, but through his accomplishments over the past eight years in office.”Mike Frerichs has served as a watchdog for Illinois taxpayers. Since being elected Treasurer Mike Frerichs has returned a record-breaking $1.5 billion in unclaimed property to taxpayers and paid over 1.2 million claims – more than any other Illinois Treasurer in history. This happened because over sometimes fierce opposition from special interests, Mike Frerichs fought to modernize Illinois’ unclaimed property laws and system. This included taking on life insurance companies that did not pay benefits even when they knew, or should have known, that their customer had passed away. Auditors for the State Treasurer have found over $800 million in unpaid life insurance benefits owed to Illinois beneficiaries.Mike Frerichs inherited a college savings program with among the lowest ratings in the nation. Under his leadership, Illinois changed providers, cut fees dramatically, and provided more high-quality investment options to families. As a result, not only have families saved over $100 million in fees, but independent analyst Morningstar improved their rating for Illinois’ Bright Start program from among the worst to literally tied for first in the nation. Bright Start has now received Morningstar’s top Gold rating for five consecutive years. Illinois’ college savings pool has more than doubled from $7 billion in 2015 to over $16.5 billion in assets with over 800,000 accounts today.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The Treasurer’s Office actively manages approximately $50 billion. Under Mike Frerichs’ leadership the office has earned more than $1 billion for taxpayers and has consistently been awarded the top AAA rating for the Illinois Funds investment pool.

As the state's Chief Investment Officer, Mike Frerichs does more than make wise investments and protect taxpayer dollars, his office provides tools to help people invest in themselves.

During his tenure, he has returned more than $1.5 billion back to Illinois taxpayers through the I-Cash (unclaimed property) program, more than any other Treasurer in history. He has expanded access to higher education by improving Illinois' Bright Start College Savings Program to the top-rated program in the country, earning independent analyst Morningstar's Gold rating five years in a row. He has expanded tools like the Secure Choice program that is currently helping over 100,000 Illinois workers save their own money to retire with dignity - and an estimated 2.4 million Illinoisans who will benefit in future years. And he leads the 17-state bipartisan National ABLE Alliance, which offers people with disabilities and their families the ability to save and build financial wellness without risking federal benefits.