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Illinois Senate

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Illinois Senate
Illinois General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 8, 2025
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
John Curran (R)
since January 11, 2023
Structure
Seats59
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (40)

Minority

Length of term
4 years (with one two-year term each decade)
AuthorityIllinois Constitution Article IV
Salary$93,712/year + per diem[1]
Elections
Last election
November 5, 2024
Next election
November 3, 2026
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Illinois State Capitol
Springfield, Illinois
Website
ilga.gov/senate Edit this at Wikidata
Rules
Rules of the Senate of the
103rd General Assembly

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.[2] Senate districts 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. For example, group one elects senators for terms of four years, four years and two years, group two elects senators for terms of four years, two years and four years, and group three elects senators for terms of two years, four years and four years.[3] This ensures that the Senate reflects changes made when the General Assembly redistricts itself after each census.

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,[4] 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. The number of negative votes does not matter. Therefore, voting present has the same effect on the tally as voting no. Barack Obama began his political career in the Illinois Senate before going on to become President of the United States.[5][6]

Party summary

[edit]
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature 40 19 59 0
January 8, 2025 40 19 59 0
February 2, 2025[a] 40 18 58 1
February 28, 2025[b] 40 19 59 0
Latest voting share 67.8% 32.2%
  1. ↑ Republican Dan McConchie resigned.[7]
  2. ↑ Republican Darby Hills was appointed to replace McConchie.[8]

Leadership

[edit]

As of February 28, 2025, the 104th General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following leadership:[9]

Majority

[edit]

Minority

[edit]

Officers

[edit]

As of February 28, 2025:[10]

  • Secretary of the Senate: Tim Anderson
  • Assistant Secretary of the Senate: Scott Kaiser
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Joe Dominguez
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Dirk R. Eilers

Members

[edit]

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 February 28, 2025, the 104th General Assembly of the Illinois Senate consists of the following members:[15][16]

District Name Party Residence Start Next Election
1 Javier Cervantes[a] Democratic Chicago November 18, 2022 2028
2 Omar Aquino[b] Democratic July 1, 2016 2026
3 Mattie Hunter Democratic January 8, 2003
4 Kimberly Lightford[b] Democratic November 20, 1998 2028
5 Lakesia Collins[b] Democratic August 16, 2023 2026
6 Sara Feigenholtz[b] Democratic January 21, 2020
7 Mike Simmons[b] Democratic February 6, 2021 2028
8 Ram Villivalam[a] Democratic January 5, 2019 2026
9 Laura Fine[a] Democratic Glenview January 6, 2019
10 Robert Martwick[b] Democratic Chicago June 28, 2019 2028
11 Mike Porfirio Democratic Bridgeview January 11, 2023 2026
12 Celina Villanueva[b] Democratic Chicago January 7, 2020
13 Robert Peters[b] Democratic January 6, 2019 2028
14 Emil Jones III Democratic January 14, 2009 2026
15 Napoleon Harris Democratic Harvey January 9, 2013
16 Willie Preston Democratic Chicago January 11, 2023 2028
17 Elgie Sims[b] Democratic January 26, 2018 2026
18 William Cunningham Democratic January 9, 2013
19 Michael Hastings Democratic Tinley Park 2028
20 Graciela Guzmán Democratic Chicago January 8, 2025 2026
21 Laura Ellman Democratic