Illinois Senate

Last updated

Illinois Senate
Illinois General Assembly
Seal of Illinois.svg
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 11, 2023
Leadership
Don Harmon (D)
since January 19, 2020
President pro tempore
Bill Cunningham (D)
since January 30, 2020
Majority Leader
Kimberly Lightford (D)
since January 7, 2019
Minority Leader
John Curran (R)
since January 11, 2023
Structure
Seats59
Illinois State Senate partisan composition.svg
Political groups
Majority
  •    Democratic (40)

Minority

Length of term
4 years (with one two-year term each decade)
Authority Illinois Constitution Article IV
Salary$85,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
 November 8, 2022
Next election
 November 5, 2024
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
Illinois State Senate.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Illinois State Capitol
Springfield, Illinois
Website
Illinois Senate
Rules
Rules of the Senate of the
103rd General Assembly

The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, the Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population and redistricted every 10 years; based on the 2020 U.S. census each senator represents approximately 213,347 people. [1] Senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. For example, group one elects senators for terms of four years, four years and two years, group two elects senators for terms of four years, two years and four years, and group three elects senators for terms of two years, four years and four years. [2] This ensures that the Senate reflects changes made when the General Assembly redistricts itself after each census.

Contents

Usually, depending on the election year, roughly one-third or two-thirds of Senate seats are contested. On rare occasions (usually after a census), all Senate seats are up for election. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made up of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms. House districts are formed by dividing each Senate district in half, [3] with each senator having two "associated" representatives.

The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois Senate tries impeachments made by the House of Representatives, and can convict impeached officers by a two-thirds vote.

Voting in the Illinois Senate is done by members pushing one of three buttons. Unlike most states, the Illinois Senate allows members to vote yes, no, or present. It takes 30 affirmative votes to pass legislation during final action. The number of negative votes does not matter. Therefore, voting present has the same effect on the tally as voting no. Barack Obama began his political career in the Illinois Senate before going on to become President of the United States. [4] [5]

Party summary

AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature4118590
January 13, 20234019590
May 31, 2023 [6] 3919581
July 10, 2023 [7] 4019590
August 1, 2023 [8] 3919581
August 16, 2023 [9] 4019590
Latest voting share

Leadership

As of February 6,2021, the 102nd General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following leadership: [10]

Majority

Minority

Officers

Members

In 1924, Florence Fifer Bohrer became the body's first female member and Adelbert H. Roberts became its first African American member. [11] [12] In 1977, Earlean Collins became the first African American woman to serve in the Illinois Senate. [13] Barack Obama, later the first African-American President of the United States, served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. [14]

As of January 8,2025, the 104th General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following members: [15] [16]

DistrictSenatorPartyResidenceAssumed
office		Next
election
1 Javier Cervantes ƗƗDemocratic Chicago November 18, 20222028
2 Omar Aquino ƗDemocratic Chicago July 1, 20162026
3 Mattie Hunter Democratic Chicago January 8, 20032026
4 Kimberly A. Lightford ƗDemocratic Chicago November 20, 19982028
5 Lakesia Collins ƗDemocratic Chicago August 16, 20232026
6 Sara Feigenholtz ƗDemocratic Chicago January 21, 20202026
7 Mike Simmons ƗDemocratic Chicago February 6, 20212028
8 Ram Villivalam ƗƗDemocratic Chicago January 5, 20192026
9 Laura Fine ƗƗDemocratic Glenview January 6, 20192026
10 Robert Martwick ƗDemocratic Chicago June 28, 20192028
11 Mike Porfirio Democratic Bridgeview January 11, 20232026
12 Celina Villanueva ƗDemocratic Chicago January 7, 20202026
13 Robert Peters ƗDemocratic Chicago January 6, 20192028
14 Emil Jones III Democratic Chicago January 14, 20092026
15 Napoleon Harris Democratic Harvey January 9, 20132026
16 Willie Preston Democratic Chicago January 11, 20232028
17 Elgie Sims ƗDemocratic Chicago January 26, 20182026
18 William Cunningham Democratic Chicago January 9, 20132026
19 Michael Hastings Democratic Tinley Park January 9, 20132028
20 Graciela Guzmán Democratic Chicago January 8, 20252026
21 Laura Ellman Democratic Lisle January 9, 20192026
22 Cristina Castro Democratic Elgin January 11, 20172028
23 Suzy Glowiak Democratic Western Springs January 9, 20192026
24 Seth Lewis Republican Bartlett January 11, 20232026
25 Karina Villa Democratic West Chicago January 13, 20212028
26 Darby Hills ƗRepublican Barrington Hills February 14, 20252026
27 Mark L. Walker ƗDemocratic Arlington Heights May 11, 20242026
28 Laura Murphy ƗDemocratic Des Plaines October 5, 20152028
29 Julie Morrison Democratic Deerfield January 9, 20132026
30 Adriane Johnson ƗDemocratic Buffalo Grove October 11, 20202026
31 Mary Edly-Allen Democratic Libertyville January 11, 20232028
32 Craig Wilcox ƗRepublican McHenry October 1, 20182026
33 Don DeWitte Republican St. Charles January 9, 20192026
34 Steve Stadelman Democratic Rockford January 9, 20132028
35 Dave Syverson Republican Rockford January 13, 19932026
36 Michael Halpin Democratic Rock Island January 11, 20232026
37 Li Arellano Jr Republican Dixon January 8, 20252028
38 Sue Rezin ƗRepublican Morris December 11, 20102026
39 Don Harmon Democratic Oak Park January 8, 20032026
40 Patrick Joyce ƗDemocratic Kankakee November 8, 20192028
41 John Curran ƗRepublican Woodridge July 23, 20172026
42 Linda Holmes Democratic Aurora January 10, 20072026
43 Rachel Ventura Democratic Joliet January 11, 20232028
44 Sally Turner ƗRepublican Beason January 25, 20212026
45 Andrew Chesney ƗƗRepublican Freeport December 5, 20182026
46 Dave Koehler ƗƗDemocratic Peoria December 3, 20062028
47 Neil Anderson Republican Andalusia January 15, 20152026
48 Doris Turner ƗDemocratic Springfield February 6, 20212026
49 Meg Loughran Cappel ƗƗDemocratic Shorewood December 10, 20202028
50 Jil Tracy Republican Quincy January 11, 20172026
51 Chapin Rose Republican Mahomet January 9, 20132026
52 Paul Faraci ƗDemocratic Champaign January 11, 20232028
53 Chris Balkema Republican Channahon January 8, 20252026
54 Steve McClure Republican Springfield January 9, 20192026
55 Jason Plummer Republican Edwardsville January 9, 20192028
56 Erica Harriss Republican Glen Carbon January 11, 20232026
57 Christopher Belt Democratic Cahokia Heights January 9, 20192026
58 Terri Bryant Republican Murphysboro January 13, 20212028
59 Dale Fowler Republican Harrisburg January 11, 20172026

Past composition of the Senate

Future election terms by district

State senators will be elected in the legislative districts for terms of office as set forth below.

First group (Districts 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 44, 47, 50, 53, 56, 59)

2026 -4 Years

2030 - 2 Years

Second group (Districts 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57)

2026 - 2 Years

2028 - 4 Years

Third group (Districts 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58)

2028-4 Years

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ State Populations from U.S Census 2020 U.S Census Website
    2. ↑ Illinois Constitution Article IV, Section 2(a) http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm
    3. ↑ Illinois Constitution Article IV, Section 2(b) http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm
    4. ↑ Gonzales, Nathan (February 13, 2007). "The Ever-'Present' Obama". The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
    5. ↑ Burnett, Sara (February 14, 2013). "Illinois Senate votes to legalize gay marriage". Associated Press. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
    6. ↑ "Senator Pacione-Zayas readies to resign to officially work in Mayor Johnson's inner circle". Nadig Newspapers. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
    7. ↑ "Dems appoint Natalie Toro to fill state Senate seat vacated by Cristina Pacione-Zayas". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
    8. ↑ "Illinois State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt announces retirement". Chicago Tribune. July 26, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
    9. ↑ Kapos, Shia (August 16, 2023). "Dems' thrill of victory, agony of defeat". POLITICO. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
    10. ↑ "102ND GA SENATE LEADERSHIP" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly . Retrieved February 6, 2021.
    11. ↑ Thomas, Whitney Freund (April 1998). "Florence Fifer Bohrer: A Woman Before Her Time". Illinois History: A Magazine for Young People. 51 (3): 59–60. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
    12. ↑ Gherardini, Caroline, ed. (February 1984). "Honors". Illinois Issues. Vol. 9, no. 2. Springfield, Illinois: Sangamon State University. p. 41. ISSN   0738-9663 . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
    13. ↑ Musser, Ashley; Dutton, Julie (February 11, 2016). "Illinois Women in Congress and General Assembly" (PDF). Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Legislative Research Unit . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
    14. ↑ Miller, David R. (ed.). "A Former New Member: Barack Obama (D-13, Chicago) (From First Reading, December 1996)" (PDF). First Reading. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Legislative Research Unit. p. 4.
    15. ↑ Barlow, Sarah E. (ed.). "Biographies of New House Members" (PDF). First Reading. 36 (1). Illinois General Assembly: 2. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
    16. ↑ Barichello, Derek (January 7, 2023). "Tom Bennett Named Barickman Successor" . Shaw Local. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
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