Appointment and 2020 election
On July 24,2019,LaPointe was appointed to serve as representative for the 19th district in the Illinois House for the remainder of outgoing representative Robert Martwick's term. Martwick had in turn been appointed as state senator for the 10th district to replace John Mulroe. Vacancies in the Illinois state legislature are filled by the party of the outgoing officeholder,and the Cook County Democratic Party delegates this decision to ward and township committeepeople who receive weighted votes based on previous election results. John Arena,committeeman for the 45th ward and former alderman for the ward,held 47 percent of the weighted vote,while Martwick held 33 percent of the vote as committeeman for the 38th ward. [9] [10] Both Arena and Martwick supported LaPointe in the appointment vote. [11] Timothy Heneghan,the 41st ward committeeman who had unsuccessfully sought appointment to the senate vacancy that Martwick filled,accused the process of being a "back room deal." [10]
LaPointe ran for a full two-year term in the 2020 Illinois elections. In the Democratic primary election for the seat,she faced Chicago police officer Joe Duplechin and former WGN radio personality Patti Vasquez. [12] She has been endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, [12] the Chicago Sun-Times, [7] Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, [13] U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, [14] U.S. Representative Mike Quigley, [14] former state senator Daniel Biss, [15] and a number of labor unions. [16] In March 2020,LaPointe circulated campaign mailings alleging that her two opponents were anti-women's rights by pointing to past electoral support of particular donors. Duplechin and Vasquez criticized the mailer,and NBC Chicago found that LaPointe had received similar donations from some of the very same donors. [17] LaPointe won the primary election on March 17,2020,with 41.3% of the vote,and faced Jeff Muehlfelder in the general election on November 3,2020. [18]
Tenure
In February 2020,LaPointe introduced legislation that would allow first responders to claim worker's compensation benefits to cover post-traumatic stress disorder. [19] That same month,she sponsored legislation that would require the Department of Veterans' Affairs to create a veterans assistance hotline. [20] She has also co-sponsored legislation including the Clean Energy Jobs Act,a bill that would allow eligible students to vote during school hours on election day,and a bill that would create a state-wide Domestic Violence Task Force. [7] [21]
Committees
As of July 3,2022,Representative LaPointe is a member of the following Illinois House Committees: [22]
- Appropriations - Public Safety (HAPP)
- Elementary &Secondary Education:School Curriculum &Policies Committee (HELM)
- Housing Committee (SHOU)
- Human Services Committee (HHSV)
- Police &Fire Committee (SHPF)
- (Chairwoman of) Public Benefits Subcommittee (HHSV-PUBX)
