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Home , Adam Kinzinger, Bill Foster (politician), Bobby Rush, Brad Schneider, Cheri Bustos, Dan Lipinski

Congressional Delegation Bios

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Senator , a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior senator, and the convener of Illinois’ bipartisan congressional delegation. Durbin also serves as the Assistant Democratic Leader, the second highest ranking position among the Senate Democrats. Also known as the Minority Whip, Senator Durbin has been elected to this leadership post by his Democratic colleagues every two years since 2005. Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996, and re-elected in 2002, 2008, and 2014, Durbin fills the seat left vacant by the retirement of his long-time friend and mentor, U.S. Senator . Durbin sits on the Senate Judiciary, Appropriations, and Rules Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and the Appropriations Committee's Defense subcommittee. Senator Durbin makes approximately 50 round trips a year between Washington and Illinois. He is married to Loretta Schaefer Durbin. Their family consists of three children--Christine (deceased), Paul and Jennifer--as well as three grandchildren, Alex, Ona and Floyd. They reside in Springfield.

Senator (D-IL)

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is an War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. She was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms.

In 2004, Duckworth was deployed to Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by an RPG and Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm.

Senator Duckworth spent the next year recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she quickly became an advocate for her fellow Soldiers and testified before Congress about caring for our Veterans and wounded warriors. Following her recovery, she became Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. At VA, Duckworth coordinated the joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to end Veteran homelessness. She also created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA’s accessibility, especially among young Veterans, and also worked to address the unique challenges that Native American and female Veterans face.

In the U.S. Senate, Duckworth serves on several influential committees that give her an important platform to advocate for Illinois’s working families and entrepreneurs: the Environment & Public Works Committee; the Energy & Natural Resources Committee; the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee; and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee.

Senator Duckworth lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband Bryan, an Army Cyber Warrant Officer, and their daughter Abigail.

Congressman (D-IL-1)

United States Representative Bobby L. Rush is a transcendent American leader who keeps his legislative and policy interests sharply focused on the needs of his constituents — especially the most vulnerable. As a , Rush stands on the shoulders of a long line of patriots and public servants who have gone before him and who are ardent believers in our Constitution.

Chicago and her surrounding communities are a microcosm of America. While large parts of Rush’s district include communities that can boast world class health and educational institutions and a diverse array of businesses, there are others where youth unemployment and acts of violence are far too common. Rush is an honorably discharged veteran of the Army and an ordained minister with a Master’s Degree in Theology. In addition to his congressional responsibilities, Rush is the pastor of the Beloved Community Christian in .

He and his wife, Carolyn, have a blended family with seven children including a son who lost his life to gun violence in 1999.

Congresswoman (D-IL-2)

Congresswoman Robin Kelly is honored to represent the citizens of Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. Since her election in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity and promote public safety, sponsoring numerous bills to generate job growth and end gun violence. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kelly serves on key committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

A native, Kelly moved to Illinois after high school to attend Bradley in Peoria, where she earned her B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in counseling. She later received a Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University. She lives in Matteson with her husband, Dr. Nathaniel Horn, and has two adult children, Kelly and Ryan.

Congressman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL-3)

Dan Lipinski is a proud native of Illinois’ Third Congressional District, which includes parts of the southwest side of Chicago, southwest Cook County, and northeastern Will County. Now in his sixth term, Rep. Lipinski has distinguished himself as a champion of the middle class. He is a leader on transportation issues, the promotion of American manufacturing, job creation through research and technological innovation, strengthening Buy American laws, restoring fiscal responsibility, and honoring America’s veterans and seniors. He has earned a reputation as a legislator who brings people together to solve problems, even during historic congressional gridlock. Rep. Lipinski is the most senior member from Illinois on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, serving on three subcommittees: Aviation; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; and Highways and Transit.

Rep. Lipinski and his wife, Judy, reside in Western Springs. In their free time, they are avid runners, participating in numerous races each year, ranging from two-mile sprints to half- marathons.

Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL-4)

Now in his twelfth term, Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez is the senior member of the Illinois delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is an experienced legislator and energetic spokesman on behalf of his constituents in Illinois' Fourth District in the heart of Chicago, who first elected him to his seat in 1992.

At the beginning of the 113th Congress in January 2013, Rep. Gutiérrez took a leave of absence from the House Financial Services Committee, where he was the third ranking Democrat, to take a less senior position on the Judiciary Committee. He did this so that he could work directly on two signature issues that have defined his career: gun violence prevention and comprehensive immigration reform.

Married and both a father and grandfather, Rep. Gutiérrez was born and raised in Chicago to parents who had themselves migrated to Chicago from Puerto Rico in the early 1950s. He previously served as an Alderman in the City of Chicago and has been a teacher, a social worker and a cab driver, among other diverse experiences.

Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL-5)

Mike Quigley was elected to Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th District on April 7, 2009. A former Cook County Commissioner who began his career serving as an aide to former 44th Ward Alderman Bernie Hansen, Mike has served his community for more than thirty years.

As the only Illinois member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Mike is using his position to prioritize investments in innovation and Chicago-area infrastructure, which will grow the local economy and spur job creation. At the start of the 114th Congress, Mike was appointed by Democratic Leader to serve on the influential House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). The committee oversees the activities of the entire Intelligence Community. Representing Chicago, one of the nation’s largest cities and a major hub for travel and commerce, Mike brings to the committee a unique understanding of the national security challenges we face.

Mike did his undergraduate work at , earned a master’s degree in public policy from the , and a law degree from the Loyola University School of Law, all in Chicago. He also served as an adjunct professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago and Roosevelt University, lecturing on politics, the environment and local government. He was a practicing lawyer for more than a decade.

Mike lives with his wife Barbara in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, where he has lived since 1982. His daughters, Alyson and Meghan, are both grown and out of the house but he has his dog Scout to keep him busy.

Congressman (R-IL-6)

Chicagoland native Peter Roskam is in his fifth term in the United States House of Representatives, serving the 6th District of Illinois. Roskam is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he sits on the Health Subcommittee and chairs the Oversight Subcommittee.

Active on national security issues and promoting America’s role in the world, Roskam leads the House Democracy Partnership, assisting legislatures in emerging democracies; serves as a co- chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, the largest Republican congressional organization dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship; and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Endowment for Democracy.

Roskam graduated from the University of Illinois before spending his early career in the office of his mentor, legendary Congressman . He later earned his J.D. from IIT Chicago- Kent College of Law and began a law practice, where he developed significant experience as a litigator. Roskam has represented Chicago’s western suburbs in both the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate. Roskam lives in Wheaton with his wife of over 26 years, Elizabeth. They have four children. Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL-7)

Danny K. Davis was chosen by the people of the 7th Congressional District of Illinois as their Representative in Congress on November 5, 1996. He has been re-elected by large majorities to succeeding Congresses. In the 115th Congress, Congressman Davis serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.

In the 115th Congress, Representative Davis is resolutely committed to preserving our democracy, protecting social security, maintaining our nation’s gains in civil and human rights, women’s rights, voting rights, protection of the environment, consumer and labor protections, reducing inequality, and ensuring quality, affordable health care for all, while his focus on issues of job creation, poverty, health care, education, youth and criminal justice reform.

Born in Parkdale, Arkansas, on September 6, 1941, Congressman Davis moved to the Westside of Chicago in 1961, after having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arkansas A.M. & N. College. He subsequently earned both Masters and Doctorate degrees respectively from Chicago State University and the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He is married to Vera G. Davis, has two sons, Jonathan and Stacey, and is a member and Deacon of the New Galilee M.B. Church.

Congressman (D-IL-8)

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was elected in November 2016 to represent the 8th District of Illinois, which includes the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago. Raja’s policy platform focuses on growing and strengthening the middle class by supporting small businesses, rebuilding our infrastructure, and protecting Social Security and .

Raja is the child of immigrants and was reared in Peoria, Illinois. Scholarships and student loans allowed Raja to graduate summa cum laude from with a degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy. He then graduated with honors from and clerked for a federal judge before practicing law in Chicago.

After his time in the ’s Office, Raja returned to the private sector, serving as president of research-oriented small businesses developing technology in the national security and renewable energy industries. Raja also served as the Vice-Chair of the Illinois Innovation Council and co-founded InSPIRE, a non-profit that provides inner-city students and veterans with training in solar technology.

Raja and his wife, Priya, a physician, live in Schaumburg with their two sons and baby daughter.

Congresswoman (D-IL-9)

Jan was elected to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District in 1998, after serving for eight years in the Illinois General Assembly. She is in her ninth term, serving in the House Democratic leadership as a Chief Deputy Whip and as a member of the Steering and Policy Committee. She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she is the Ranking Democrat on the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee.

For decades, Jan identified her top priority as winning affordable, quality health care for all Americans. In 2009 and 2010, she played a leadership role in writing and passing the historic Patient Protection and that finally established health care as a right and not a privilege in the United States.

In 2010, then Speaker Pelosi appointed Jan to President Obama's 18-member National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform where she bucked the majority and offered her own proposal to balance the budget without cutting Social Security, Medicare or – or further burdening struggling families.

As a Jewish Congresswoman, Jan has a deep personal connection to the State of Israel and has consistently voted for measures to assure Israel's security and to promote efforts toward a two- state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace.

Jan lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband Robert Creamer and their golden retrievers, Franklin and Eleanor (Frankie and Ellie for short). She has three marvelous children, Ian, Mary and step-daughter Lauren, and six exceptional grandchildren – Isabel, Eve, Lucy, William, Aidan and Alice. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.

Congressman (D-IL-10)

Brad Schneider represents Illinois’s 10th District in the United States House of Representatives, where he is serving his second term.

Brad is committed to tackling the challenges we face as a nation, including protecting Medicare and Social Security, improving rather than repealing the Affordable Care Act, and passing sensible gun safety legislation.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Brad spent more than 20 years in business and management consulting, helping large and family-owned businesses alike address the challenges of today’s economy and plan for the future. His professional experience has allowed him to see first-hand the challenges small businesses face when trying to hire new workers and grow their company, as well as the effect thriving small businesses can have on a community’s overall economy.

At home, Brad has deep ties to the community, including service with organizations such as the Jewish United Fund, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Waukegan Public Library Foundation, B.E.S.T., the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism, and the Civic Leadership Foundation.

Brad earned a BS in industrial engineering and his MBA from .

Brad and his wife, Julie, have been residents of Deerfield for more than 25 years, where they created a home, built their careers, and, most importantly, raised two sons, Adam and Daniel.

Congressman (D-IL-11)

Congressman Bill Foster is a scientist and businessman representing the 11th Congressional District of Illinois. He previously served from March 2008 until January 2011 as the Representative of the Illinois 14th Congressional District. Foster is the only physicist in Congress.

Foster serves on the House Committee on Financial Services, a position he also held in the 110th and 111th Congress, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Bill's business career began at age 19 when he and his younger brother co-founded Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc., a company that now manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States.

Bill's scientific career was as a high-energy physicist and designer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (). Bill was a member of the team that discovered the , the heaviest known form of matter. He also led the teams that designed and built several scientific facilities and detectors still in use today, including the Recycler Ring, the latest of Fermilab's giant particle accelerators. When Bill first ran for Congress, his campaign was endorsed by 31 Nobel Prize Winners. Bill lives in Naperville with his wife Aesook, who is also a physicist. Bill has two grown children, Billy and Christine. Bill's father was a civil rights lawyer who wrote much of the enforcement language behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Congressman (R-IL-12)

Rep. Mike Bost is proud to represent the 12 counties of Illinois’ 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sworn in to office on January 6, 2015, Mike is continuing the fight for our Southern Illinois’ values in Washington – a fight he began in U.S. military, then as a first responder, a local job creator, and a state representative. In the 114th Congress, Rep. Bost serves on three key committees: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and Small Business. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bost served for two decades in the Illinois House of Representatives, rising to the leadership position of House Republican Caucus Chair. Rep. Bost is a lifelong resident of Murphysboro. He graduated from Murphysboro High School in 1979. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps serving his country from 1979 to 1982. He was trained as an electronic specialist and radar repairman and received an honorable discharge as a Corporal E-4. In addition to his duties as a Member of Congress, Rep. Bost is very active in his church and community. Rep. Bost and his wife, Tracy, own and operate a small business – the White House Salon – in Murphysboro. Mike and Tracy have three children – Steven, Kasey Fred and Kaitlin Rose. They have two sons-in-law, Travis Fred and Chad Rose, a daughter-in-law, Betsy, and ten grandchildren.

Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)

Rodney Davis was recently sworn into his third term in Congress serving the 13th District of Illinois, a 14-county district covering both urban and rural areas of Central and Southwestern Illinois. Prior to being elected, Rodney served as Projects Director for Congressman (IL-15) for 16 years helping Illinois citizens and communities cut through government red tape and secure federal funding.

For the 115th Congress, Rodney serves on the House Agriculture Committee, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Administration Committee. He has also been appointed to serve as the Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research.

Rodney resides in Taylorville with his wife, Shannon, and their three children, Toryn, Clark and Griffin.

Congressman (R-IL-14)

Born and raised in Illinois, and having spent more than 15 years serving Illinois and its citizens at multiple levels of government, Congressman Randy Hultgren represents the state’s 14th Congressional District. The district is comprised of seven suburban counties including McHenry, Lake, Kendall, Kane, DuPage, DeKalb and Will.

In Washington, Congressman Hultgren has committed himself to working for fiscal sanity, real healthcare reform, and pro-growth policies that will put Americans back to work. In the current 114th Congress, Randy serves on the Financial Services and Science, Space & Technology Committees.

Randy was elected to the DuPage County Board and County Forest Preserve Board in 1994, to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1999, and to the in 2007. At every level, he has fought for prosperity and free enterprise and for smaller, smarter government. Randy served on the Financial Institutions Committees in the Illinois House and Senate and is credentialed in FINRA Series 7, 6 and 63. He later became a Vice President at Performance Trust Investment Advisors in Chicago.

Randy was born March 1, 1966 in Park Ridge, Illinois. He graduated from Bethel College in 1988 and later attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, graduating in 1993. He currently resides in Plano with his wife, Christy, and four children.

Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL-15)

John M. Shimkus has served in the Army, as a high school teacher, a county treasurer, and now as a Member of the United States House of Representatives for the 15th District of Illinois. In 1996 John won his first term as a United States Representative from what was then Illinois' 20th District. From 2003-2013 he represented the 19th District and now he represents the 15th District, 33 counties that stretch from his hometown near St. Louis to the Indiana border and from Hoopeston south to Metropolis.

Among his duties in Congress, John is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

John received his Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1980. He served over five years active duty in the Army, then entered the Army Reserves. John retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on June 1, 2008, concluding 28 years of military service.

John married Karen Muth in 1987. They have three sons: David, Joshua and Daniel. The Shimkus family maintains their residence in John’s hometown of Collinsville, Illinois.

Congressman (R-IL-16)

Adam Kinzinger was first sworn into the United States House of Representatives in January 2011. He serves as the Representative for the Sixteenth Congressional District of Illinois and is a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. In addition, he served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee during the 113th Congress. He serves as a Deputy Republican Whip.

Kinzinger earned his undergraduate degree from ISU in 2000. He served on the McLean County Board from 1998-2003. After serving on the McLean County Board for five years, Kinzinger joined the . He has served in the Air Force Special Operations, , , and Air National Guard. Kinzinger continues to serve his country as a pilot in the Air National Guard, balancing his service with his busy schedule as a Member of Congress.

He has been awarded the United States Air Force Airman’s Medal, the National Guard’s Valley Forge Cross for Heroism, was selected as the Southeastern Wisconsin American Red Cross Hero of the Year, and earned the Air Medal six times serving in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Congresswoman (D-17)

Cheri Bustos considers it an honor to represent the hardworking families of Illinois’ 17th Congressional District which includes Western, Central and Northern Illinois. Now in her third term, Cheri has focused on job creation, strengthening our economy and building a stronger middle class. She has been a relentless advocate for veterans and for working women and families, and she has worked with Democrats and Republicans on common-sense solutions to cut government waste, fraud and abuse so we can strengthen Medicare and expand Social Security.

Cheri was elected by her colleagues to serve in leadership as the Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. As the only Midwesterner in House Democratic Leadership, she will work to ensure that the House Democrats’ agenda connects with rural and working-class Americans. In 2015, Cheri accepted a leadership post as a Senior Whip, where she uses her position to fight for policies that will advance American manufacturing, ensure women’s economic security and grow our middle-class.

With her husband Gerry, who now serves as the Sheriff of Rock Island County, she raised three sons and has two grandchildren, all of whom proudly call Illinois home.

Cheri earned her Bachelor’s Degree in political science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master’s Degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She also attended Illinois College in Jacksonville, where both her parents and son graduated.

Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL-18)

Congressman Darin LaHood, born and raised in Peoria, serves the constituents of the 18th District of Illinois. Sworn into the US House of Representatives on September 17, 2015, LaHood quickly transitioned into office after his special-election win on September 10. The 18th district spans 19 counties across central and west-central Illinois, ranging from McLean County (Bloomington-Normal) to Adams County (Quincy). LaHood serves close to 710,000 constituents.

Prior to his recent election to Congress, LaHood served four years in the Illinois State Senate, beginning in 2011. LaHood spent more than nine years as a State and Federal Prosecutor. From 2001-2006, he worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada. LaHood has also served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County and Tazewell County. From 2006 up until his election to the House of Representatives, he practiced with the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall & Triggs.

LaHood currently serves on the Natural Resources Committee and Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

LaHood, a third generation Peorian, graduated from Spalding High School. He earned a B.A. from Loras College and holds a J.D. from The John Marshall Law School. In 2013, he was selected as an Edgar Fellow, a program run by former Governor Jim Edgar, which highlights future Illinois leaders. In 2008, LaHood was recognized in Peoria as a 40 Leaders Under Forty award winner.

Congressman LaHood and his wife Kristen currently reside in Dunlap and are the proud parents of three sons, McKay, Lucas, and Teddy.