The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the StateofIllinois 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.
Illinois Senate
| |
|---|---|
| Illinois General Assembly | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 11, 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Don Harmon (D) | |
President pro tempore |
Bill Cunningham (D) |
Majority Leader |
Kimberly Lightford (D) |
Minority Leader |
John Curran (R) |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 59 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
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 |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| State Senate Chamber Illinois State Capitol Springfield, Illinois | |
| Website | |
| Illinois State Senate | |
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 CapitolinSpringfield, 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.
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | |||
| End of previous legislature | 41 | 18 | 59 | 0 | |
| January 13, 2023 | 40 | 19 | 59 | 0 | |
| May 31, 2023[6] | 39 | 19 | 58 | 1 | |
| July 10, 2023[7] | 40 | 19 | 59 | 0 | |
| August 1, 2023[8] | 39 | 19 | 58 | 1 | |
| August 16, 2023[9] | 40 | 19 | 59 | 0 | |
| Latest voting share | 67.8% | 32.2% | |||
As of February 6, 2021[update], the 102nd General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following leadership:[10]
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 May 11, 2024[update], the 103rd General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following members:[15][16]
| District | Senator | Party | Residence | Assumed office |
Next election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javier Cervantes ƗƗ | Democratic | Chicago | November 18, 2022 | 2024 |
| 2 | Omar Aquino Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | July 1, 2016 | 2026 |
| 3 | Mattie Hunter | Democratic | Chicago | January 8, 2003 | 2026 |
| 4 | Kimberly A. Lightford Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | November 20, 1998 | 2024 |
| 5 | Lakesia Collins Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | August 16, 2023 | 2024 (special) |
| 6 | Sara Feigenholtz Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | January 21, 2020 | 2026 |
| 7 | Mike Simmons Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | February 6, 2021 | 2024 |
| 8 | Ram Villivalam ƗƗ | Democratic | Chicago | January 5, 2019 | 2026 |
| 9 | Laura Fine ƗƗ | Democratic | Glenview | January 6, 2019 | 2026 |
| 10 | Robert Martwick Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | June 28, 2019 | 2024 |
| 11 | Mike Porfirio | Democratic | Bridgeview | January 11, 2023 | 2026 |
| 12 | Celina Villanueva Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | January 7, 2020 | 2026 |
| 13 | Robert Peters Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | January 6, 2019 | 2024 |
| 14 | Emil Jones III | Democratic | Chicago | January 14, 2009 | 2026 |
| 15 | Napoleon Harris | Democratic | Harvey | January 9, 2013 | 2026 |
| 16 | Willie Preston | Democratic | Chicago | January 8, 2003 | 2024 |
| 17 | Elgie Sims Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | January 26, 2018 | 2026 |
| 18 | William Cunningham | Democratic | Chicago | January 9, 2013 | 2026 |
| 19 | Michael Hastings | Democratic | Tinley Park | January 9, 2013 | 2024 |
| 20 | Natalie Toro Ɨ | Democratic | Chicago | July 10, 2023 | 2024 (special) |
| 21 | Laura Ellman | Democratic | Lisle | January 9, 2019 | 2026 |
| 22 | Cristina Castro | Democratic | Elgin | January 11, 2017 | 2024 |
| 23 | Suzy Glowiak | Democratic | Western Springs | January 9, 2019 | 2026 |
| 24 | Seth Lewis | Republican | Bartlett | January 11, 2023 | 2026 |
| 25 | Karina Villa | Democratic | West Chicago | January 13, 2021 | 2024 |
| 26 | Dan McConchie Ɨ | Republican | Hawthorn Woods | April 20, 2016 | 2026 |
| 27 | Mark L. Walker Ɨ | Democratic | Arlington Heights | May 11, 2024 | 2024 (special) |
| 28 | Laura Murphy Ɨ | Democratic | Des Plaines | October 5, 2015 | 2024 |
| 29 | Julie Morrison | Democratic | Deerfield | January 9, 2013 | 2026 |
| 30 | Adriane Johnson Ɨ | Democratic | Buffalo Grove | October 11, 2020 | 2026 |
| 31 | Mary Edly-Allen | Democratic | Libertyville | January 11, 2023 | 2024 |
| 32 | Craig Wilcox Ɨ | Republican | McHenry | October 1, 2018 | 2026 |
| 33 | Don DeWitte | Republican | St. Charles | January 9, 2019 | 2026 |
| 34 | Steve Stadelman | Democratic | Rockford | January 9, 2013 | 2024 |
| 35 | Dave Syverson | Republican | Rockford | January 13, 1993 | 2026 |
| 36 | Michael Halpin | Democratic | Rock Island | January 11, 2023 | 2026 |
| 37 | Win Stoller ƗƗ | Republican | Metamora | January 5, 2021 | 2024 |
| 38 | Sue Rezin Ɨ | Republican | Morris | December 11, 2010 | 2026 |
| 39 | Don Harmon | Democratic | Oak Park | January 8, 2003 | 2026 |
| 40 | Patrick Joyce Ɨ | Democratic | Kankakee | November 8, 2019 | 2024 |
| 41 | John Curran Ɨ | Republican | Woodridge | July 23, 2017 | 2026 |
| 42 | Linda Holmes | Democratic | Aurora | January 10, 2007 | 2026 |
| 43 | Rachel Ventura | Democratic | Joliet | January 11, 2023 | 2024 |
| 44 | Sally Turner Ɨ | Republican | Beason | January 25, 2021 | 2026 |
| 45 | Andrew Chesney ƗƗ | Republican | Freeport | December 5, 2018 | 2026 |
| 46 | Dave Koehler ƗƗ | Democratic | Peoria | December 3, 2006 | 2024 |
| 47 | Neil Anderson | Republican | Andalusia | January 15, 2015 | 2026 |
| 48 | Doris Turner Ɨ | Democratic | Springfield | February 6, 2021 | 2026 |
| 49 | Meg Loughran Cappel ƗƗ | Democratic | Shorewood | December 10, 2020 | 2024 |
| 50 | Jil Tracy | Republican | Quincy | January 11, 2017 | 2026 |
| 51 | Chapin Rose | Republican | Mahomet | January 9, 2013 | 2026 |
| 52 | Paul Faraci Ɨ | Democratic | Champaign | January 11, 2023 | 2024 |
| 53 | Thomas M. Bennett Ɨ | Republican | Gibson City | January 11, 2023 | 2024 (special) |
| 54 | Steve McClure | Republican | Springfield | January 9, 2019 | 2026 |
| 55 | Jason Plummer | Republican | Edwardsville | January 9, 2019 | 2024 |
| 56 | Erica Harriss | Republican | Glen Carbon | January 11, 2023 | 2026 |
| 57 | Christopher Belt | Democratic | Cahokia Heights | January 9, 2019 | 2026 |
| 58 | Terri Bryant | Republican | Murphysboro | January 13, 2021 | 2024 |
| 59 | Dale Fowler | Republican | Harrisburg | January 11, 2017 | 2026 |