Further information: Illinois's 14th congressional district special election, 2008

Dennis Hastert
59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office January 6, 1999 – January 3, 2007
President	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
Preceded by	Newt Gingrich
Succeeded by	Nancy Pelosi
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 14th district
In office January 6, 1987 – November 26, 2007
Preceded by	John E. Grotberg
Succeeded by	Bill Foster
Born	January 2, 1942 (age 66) Aurora, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jean Kahl
Alma mater	Wheaton College Northern Illinois University
Religion	Methodist

John Dennis "Denny" Hastert (born January 2, 1942) is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007, representing Illinois's 14th congressional district, and served as Speaker of the House from 1999 to 2007.

Originally elevated to the Speakership on January 6, 1999, he surpassed Joseph Gurney Cannon as the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history on June 1, 2006. Hastert was reelected to an eleventh term in Congress in the 2006 general election, defeating former United States Navy intelligence analyst John Laesch. However, the Republican Party lost its majority in the House and Hastert did not seek a leadership position in the 110th Congress.^[1] He resigned his seat mid-session on November 26, 2007.^[2][3][4] Hastert had endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination before he withdrew from the race.