Prior to serving in the General Assembly, Carroll was a special education teacher and currently works in private practice helping individuals with cognitive challenges like ADHD.[2] Carroll has a degree in communications from DePaul University, and an M.A. in special education from Northeastern Illinois University. He is a certified special education teacher and has managed the private Carroll Educational Group for several years, helping clients with special needs. He is a director of the Portes Foundation, which makes grants for medical and life sciences research.[3]
On October 2, 2017, Democratic incumbent Elaine Nekritz resigned from the Illinois House of Representatives. The Democratic Representative Committee for the 57th Representative District selected Jonathan Carroll to fill the vacancy. Carroll was sworn into office on October 3, 2017.[4] Upon being sworn in, he replaced Nekritz on the Committee on Government Consolidation & Modernization and the Committee on Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & Information Technology. He was also assigned to the Committee on Mass Transit; and the Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education Committee.[5]
In 2019, Carroll authored a food-labeling law benefiting people with food allergies.[6] In 2020, Carroll authored legislation outlawing schools' use of isolation rooms as a disciplinary tactic.[7] In December 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the representative introduced legislation mandating that individuals who remained willfully unvaccinated against COVID-19 (excluding those with medical reasons preventing vaccination) should pay out of pocket the entirety of any hospital expenses resulting from infection and subsequent treatment.[8]
On January 5, 2024, Carroll announced his resignation at the conclusion of the day.[9]
In 2018, Carroll won the Democratic nomination and Mary Battinus won the Republican nomination for the 57th district. Battinus dropped out of the election two months after the primary.[11] The Republican Party did not nominate a replacement candidate and Carroll ran unopposed.[12]
Illinois 57th Representative District General Election, 2018[12]
In 2022, Carroll won the Democratic nomination and Rory Welch won the Republican nomination for the 57th district. In the general election, Carroll defeated Welch with 22,553 votes (63.63%) to Welch's 12,889 votes (36.37%).[14]
Illinois 57th State House District General Election, 2022
On July 3, 2023, facing a primary challenge from Tracy Katz Muhl, Carroll announced that he had decided not to run for reelection in 2024.[15] Following Carroll's resignation, Katz Muhl was appointed to serve out the remainder of the term.
^Barlow, Sarah E., ed. (November 15, 2018). "Biographies of New House Members"(PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. pp. 2–8. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
^ abWhite, Jesse (ed.). "Illinois General Election — November 3, 2020". Illinois Blue Book 2021-2022(PDF). p. 419. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 17, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
