Daniel J. Ugaste is a lawyer, politician and Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 65th district.^[1] The district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes all or parts of Batavia, Elgin, Geneva, Hampshire, South Elgin, and St. Charles.^[2]

Education and Law Career

The first person in his family to complete college, Ugaste earned a Bachelor of Arts at Lake Forest College and a juris doctor at DePaul University College of Law.^[3]

In the 1990's, Ugaste was an attorney for Seyfarth Shaw, Limited Liability Partnership and Wiedner & McAuliffe, Limited Company.^[4]

Ugaste is a shareholder in the Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie and Lowry Law Firm and specializes in workers' compensation. He worked as a member of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board and as a technical advisor to Bruce Rauner's Office on Workers' Compensation Reform.

Illinois House of Representatives

In 2018, Ugaste was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, defeating Democratic candidate Richard Johnson - the President of the Elgin Teachers Union. He succeeded retiring incumbent Steven Andersson.^[1]

In 2020, he was re-elected, narrowly defeating activist Martha Paschke.

Ugaste won a third term in 2022, against scientist and small business owner Linda Robertson.^[5] Ugaste's former campaign committee chairman endorsed Robertson over Ugaste in the race, saying that Robertson had "made it clear that she will protect our rights to make personal decisions and live without excessive government interference," and that Robertson was the "better candidate."^[6]

Committees

In the 102nd Illinois General Assembly, Ugaste served on the House Committees on Energy & Environment; Judiciary; Labor & Commerce; Police & Fire; and the subcommittees on Civil Procedure & Tort Liability; Roadways, Rail, & Aviation; and Workforce Development.^[7]

Positions & Votes

Ugaste has consistently voted against protections for workers and LGBTQ people, abortion access, and criminal justice and gun control reforms.^[8]

• Voted against prohibiting housing discrimination based on one's source of income
• Did not vote on a bill prohibiting the sale of and possession of homemade firearms
• Voted against a resolution supporting reproductive rights
• Voted against safeguards for older LGBTQ+ people
• Voted against requiring employers to provide each employee at least 24 consecutive hours of rest for every 7 day period
• Voted against prohibiting schools from denying a student their transcript because of unpaid debt
• Voted against expanding protections for victims of domestic violence in the workplace
• Did not vote on a bill allowing school district employees fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to take paid sick days without repercussion if they or their child have COVID-19
• Voted establishing an agriculture equity commission
• Voted against the SAFE-T Act
• Voted against repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which required the legal guardian of a minor receiving an abortion to be notified of the abortion
• Voted against prohibiting cities and counties from entering into contracts with ICE
• Voted against consumer protections on online retail
• Voted against prohibiting school discrimination against certain hairstyles
• Voted against a red flag law
• Voted against requiring public and private schools comply with Illinois Department of Public Health COVID-19 regulations
• Voted against amending the Equitable Restrooms Act to allow for all-gender restrooms
• Co-sponsored a bill placing term limits on general assembly leadership positions
• Voted against establishing the right to counsel for undocumented immigrants
• Voted against expanding ballot drop boxes and curbside voting
• Voted against reducing racial disparities in medical care
• Voted against authorizing victims in personal injury and wrongful death cases to collect interest on money they receive from court
• Voted against emphasizing the contributions Black and other minority groups in school curriculum
• Voted against the 2020-2021 state budget
• Voted in favor of establishing worker protections regarding the COVID-19 pandemic
• Voted against expanding absentee voting in the 2020 election
• Voted in favor of capping the cost of insulin to $100 per thirty days
• Voted against allowing student athletes to receive compensation for their name, image or likeness
• Voted against authorizing student absences for voting
• Voted against establishing that public employees have the right to unionize
• Voted against legalizing recreational cannabis
• Voted against establishing a graduated state income tax
• Voted against the 2019-2020 state budget
• Voted against establishing rehabilitation classes as a means to reduce prison sentences
• Voted against appropriating $45 billion for infrastructure repairs
• Voted against expanding voting access in jails
• Voted against expanding abortion protections
• Voted against prohibiting animal testing on products sold in Illinois
• Voted in favor of prohibiting puppy mills
• Voted against expanding legal protections for undocumented immigrants
• Voted against prohibiting electronic monitoring for people who have completed state sentences
• Voted in favor of requiring police departments to keep records on racial profiling
• Co-sponsored a bill increasing fines for motorists who pass school busses
• Voted against prohibiting private prisons and detention centers
• Voted against allowing for a non-binary gender marker on state ID's
• Voted against increasing penalties for employers who commit wage theft
• Voted against increasing teachers baseline salary
• Voted against allowing food stamp benefits to be used in restaurants
• Voted against requiring civics education
• Voted against prohibiting smoking in a vehicle with a minor present
• Voted against requiring public schools to teach about prominent LGBTQ+ figures
• Voted against raising the minimum wage to $15^[8]

Personal life

Ugaste lives in Geneva and is married. He has three adult daughters.^[9]

Electoral history