Cristina Castro is a Democratic State Senator representing Illinois' 22nd District, which includes all or parts of 10-11 communities in Cook and Kane Counties, such as Elgin, Carpentersville, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, and Schaumburg. A second-generation Mexican-American born and raised in Elgin, she is a lifelong district resident and the first Latina elected to the Illinois Senate for a suburban district. She resides in Elgin with her husband Joe McKeown and their three dogs. Castro began community involvement in high school through student groups and volunteering, later serving on the Kane County Board from 2008-2016 and boards including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Black History Family Festival, and Centro de Información. First elected to the Senate in 2016, she is known for bipartisan work on working families' issues, balanced budgets, ethics reform, environmental protection, and vulnerable populations. Notable achievements include authoring updates to the Equal Pay Act, the Dignity in Pay Act for fair wages for people with disabilities, and expanding Medicaid postpartum coverage to a full year, making Illinois the first state to do so. She serves as Majority Caucus Whip for the 104th General Assembly, chairs the Senate Executive Committee, and holds roles on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules since 2023, Future of Illinois Task Force, State Procurement Task Force, and Legislative Ethics Commission. In December 2023, she was elected Vice President for Public Policy for the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, with leadership in the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and National Conference of State Legislatures.

Education and Political Experience

• Associate of Science from Elgin Community College
• Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University
• Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University

Political Experience

• Elected to Kane County Board
• First elected to Illinois State Senate, 22nd District
• Majority Caucus Whip, 104th General Assembly
• Chair, Senate Executive Committee
• Member, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules since 2023
• Member, Future of Illinois Task Force, State Procurement Task Force, Legislative Ethics Commission
• Vice President for Public Policy, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
• Leadership roles in National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and National Conference of State Legislatures