Bill Foster

George William Foster (born October 7, 1955) is an American businessman and physicist serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 11th congressional district since 2013.

Foster was born in 1955 in Madison, Wisconsin.

As a teenager, he attended James Madison Memorial High School.

He received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1976 and his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University in 1983.

The title of his doctoral dissertation is "An experimental limit on proton decay: ."

When Foster was 19, he started a company with his younger brother, Fred.

The company, ETC, has become the leading manufacturer of theatrical lighting.

After completing his Ph.D., Foster moved to the Fox Valley with his family to pursue a career in high-energy (particle) physics at Fermilab, a Department of Energy National Laboratory.

During his 22 years at Fermilab, he participated in several projects, including the design of equipment and data analysis software for the CDF Detector, which were used in the discovery of the top quark, and the management of the design and construction of a 3 km Anti-Proton Recycler Ring for the Main Injector.

He was a member of the team that received the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize for cosmic ray physics for the discovery of the neutrino burst from the supernova SN 1987A.

He also received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Particle Accelerator Technology Prize and was awarded an Energy Conservation award from the United States Department of Energy for his application of permanent magnets for Fermilab's accelerators.

He and Stephen D. Holmes received the Robert R. Wilson Prize for Achievement in the Physics of Particle Accelerators in 2022 for "leadership in developing the modern accelerator complex at Fermilab, enabling the success of the Tevatron program that supports rich programs in neutrino and precision physics."

In 1998, Foster was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society.

On November 26, 2007, former House Republican Speaker J. Dennis Hastert resigned as the Representative from Illinois's 14th congressional district.

Foster announced his candidacy to fill the vacancy on May 30, 2007.

In the March special election, Foster defeated Republican nominee and Hastert-endorsed candidate Jim Oberweis, 53%–47%.

In November, Oberweis ran against Foster again.

Foster won reelection to a full term, 58%–42%.

Foster was challenged by Republican nominee State Senator Randy Hultgren and Green Party nominee Daniel Kairis.

Despite being endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Herald, Foster lost to Hultgren, 51%–45%.

He was the U.S. representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district from 2008 to 2011.

He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April 2008 due to the need to count absentee ballots before his first election was certified, he took the oath of office on March 11, 2008.

Foster joined Vern Ehlers and Rush Holt Jr. as the only research physicists ever elected to Congress.

In May 2011, Foster sold his home in Geneva, moved to Naperville and announced plans to run for Congress in the 11th district, which encompasses Aurora, Joliet, Lisle in addition to Naperville.

It also includes roughly a quarter of his former district.

Although Biggert's home in Hinsdale had been shifted to the Chicago-based 5th district, Biggert opted to seek election in the 11th, which contained half of her old territory.

On November 6, 2012, Foster won the election for the 11th district with 58% of the vote.

Foster ran again and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In the general election, he defeated the Republican nominee, State Representative Darlene Senger, with 53.5% of the vote to her 46.5%.

Foster ran again and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In the general election, he defeated the Republican nominee, Tonia Khouri, with 60.4% of the vote to her 39.6%.

Foster again was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In the general election, he defeated the Republican nominee, Nick Stella, with 63.8% of the vote to Stella's 36.2%.

Foster faced a primary challenge from Rachel Ventura and won the nomination with 58.7% of the vote.

In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee, Rick Laib, with 63.3% of the vote.

2022

Foster won the June 28 Democratic primary and is running for reelection to the House in the November 8 general election.

In the general election, he defeated Catalina Lauf with 56.45% of the vote.

The district had previously been the 13th, represented by seven-term Republican Judy Biggert.