Illinois Senate
Illinois General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 9, 2019
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
Dan McConchie (R)
since January 13, 2021
Structure
Seats59
Layout of Illinois
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (41)

Minority

Length of term
4 years (with one two-year term each decade)
AuthorityIllinois Constitution Article IV
Salary$67,874/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 3, 2020
Next election
November 8, 2022
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
Illinois State Senate.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Illinois State Capitol
Springfield, Illinois
Website
Illinois State Senate

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.[2] This ensures that the Senate reflects changes made when the General Assembly redistricts itself after each census.

Depending on the election year, roughly one-third, two-thirds, or all Senate seats may be contested. 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.[4][5] The number of negative votes does not matter. Therefore, voting present has the same effect on the tally as voting no.

Party summary

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus) 		Total
Democratic Republican Conservative Vacant
End of previous legislature 37 21 1 59 0
2019-2021 40 19 0 59 0
February 6, 2021 41 18 0 59 0
June 15, 2022 40 18 0 58 1
July 8, 2022 41 18 0 59 0
Latest voting share 69.5% 30.5% 0%

Leadership

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

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.[7][8] In 1977, Earlean Collins became the first African American woman to serve in the Illinois Senate.[9] Barack Obama, later the first African-American President of the United States, served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.[10]

As of July 8, 2022, the 102nd General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following members:[11]

District Senator Party Residence Assumed
office		 Next
election
1 Antonio Munoz Democratic Chicago January 9, 1999 2022
2 Omar Aquino Ɨ Democratic Chicago July 1, 2016 2022
3 Mattie Hunter Democratic Chicago January 8, 2003 2022
4 Kimberly A. Lightford Ɨ Democratic Chicago November 20, 1998 2022
5 Patricia Van Pelt Democratic Chicago January 9, 2013 2022
6 Sara Feigenholtz Ɨ Democratic Chicago January 21, 2020 2022
7 Mike Simmons Ɨ[12] Democratic Chicago February 6, 2021 2022
8 Ram Villivalam ƗƗ Democratic Chicago January 5, 2019 2022
9 Laura Fine ƗƗ Democratic Glenview January 6, 2019 2022
10 Robert Martwick Ɨ Democratic Chicago June 28, 2019 2022
11 Celina Villanueva Ɨ Democratic Chicago January 7, 2020 2022
12 Steven Landek Ɨ Democratic Bridgeview February 5, 2011 2022
13 Robert Peters Ɨ Democratic Chicago January 6, 2019 2022
14 Emil Jones III Democratic Chicago January 14, 2009 2022
15 Napoleon Harris Democratic Harvey January 9, 2013 2022
16 Jacqueline Y. Collins Democratic Chicago January 8, 2003 2022
17 Elgie Sims Ɨ Democratic Chicago January 26, 2018 2022
18 William Cunningham Democratic Chicago January 9, 2013 2022
19 Michael Hastings Democratic Tinley Park January 9, 2013 2022
20 Cristina Pacione-Zayas Ɨ Democratic Chicago December 22, 2020 2022
21 Laura Ellman Democratic Lisle January 9, 2019 2022
22 Cristina Castro Democratic Elgin January 11, 2017 2022
23 Diane Pappas Ɨ Democratic Itasca March 9, 2022 2022
24 Suzy Glowiak Democratic Western Springs January 9, 2019 2022
25 Karina Villa Democratic West Chicago January 13, 2021 2022
26 Dan McConchie Ɨ Republican Hawthorn Woods April 20, 2016 2022
27 Ann Gillespie Democratic Rolling Meadows January 9, 2019 2022
28 Laura Murphy Ɨ Democratic Des Plaines October 5, 2015 2022
29 Julie Morrison Democratic Deerfield January 9, 2013 2022
30 Adriane Johnson Ɨ[13] Democratic Buffalo Grove October 11, 2020 2022
31 Melinda Bush Democratic Grayslake January 9, 2013 2022
32 Craig Wilcox Ɨ Republican McHenry October 1, 2018 2022
33 Don DeWitte Republican St. Charles January 9, 2019 2022
34 Steve Stadelman Democratic Rockford January 9, 2013 2022
35 Dave Syverson Republican Rockford January 13, 1993 2022
36 Neil Anderson Republican Rock Island January 15, 2015 2022
37 Win Stoller ƗƗ Republican Metamora January 5, 2021 2022
38 Sue Rezin Ɨ Republican Morris December 11, 2010 2022
39 Don Harmon Democratic Oak Park January 8, 2003 2022
40 Patrick Joyce Ɨ Democratic Kankakee November 8, 2019 2022
41 John Curran Ɨ Republican Woodridge July 23, 2017 2022
42 Linda Holmes Democratic Aurora January 10, 2007 2022
43 Eric Mattson Ɨ[14] Democratic Joliet May 6, 2022 2022
44 Sally Turner Ɨ[15] Republican Beason January 25, 2021 2022
45 Brian W. Stewart ƗƗ Republican Freeport December 5, 2018 2022
46 Dave Koehler ƗƗ Democratic Peoria December 3, 2006 2022
47 Jil Tracy Republican Quincy January 11, 2017 2022
48 Doris Turner Ɨ[16] Democratic Springfield February 6, 2021 2022
49 Meg Loughran Cappel ƗƗ Democratic Shorewood December 10, 2020 2022
50 Steve McClure Republican Springfield January 9, 2019 2022
51 Chapin Rose Republican Mahomet January 9, 2013 2022
52 Scott M. Bennett Ɨ Democratic Champaign January 14, 2015 2022
53 Jason Barickman Republican Bloomington January 9, 2013 2022
54 Jason Plummer Republican Edwardsville January 9, 2019 2022
55 Darren Bailey Republican Louisville January 13, 2021 2022
56 Kristopher Tharp Ɨ Democratic Bethalto July 8, 2022 2022
57 Christopher Belt Democratic Cahokia Heights January 9, 2019 2022
58 Terri Bryant Republican Murphysboro January 13, 2021 2022
59 Dale Fowler Republican Harrisburg January 11, 2017 2022

Past composition of the Senate

Main article: Political party strength in Illinois

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. ^ "102ND GA SENATE LEADERSHIP" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Current Senate Members 102bd General Assembly". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  12. ^ Miller, Rich (February 6, 2021). "Mike Simmons appointed to replace former Sen. Heather Steans". Capitol Fax. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  13. ^ DeGrechie, Eric (October 12, 2020). "Johnson Replaces Link, Becomes 1st Black Senator From Lake County". Buffalo Grove Patch. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  14. ^ "Eric Mattson Appointed In 43rd State Senate Seat". WJOL. May 6, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  15. ^ Solutions, LRS Web. "Sally Turner appointed as Illinois State Senator". senategop.state.il.us. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  16. ^ Miller, Rich (February 6, 2021). "Doris Turner to replace Andy Manar in the Senate". Capitol Fax. Retrieved February 6, 2021.

External links

Members of the Illinois Senate
Legislatures of the United States
Authority control
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