Elgie R. Sims, Jr. is a Democratic State Senator representing Illinois' 17th Senate District, which includes portions of Chicago's South Side and Southeast Side, Chicago's south suburbs, and parts of Will and Kankakee counties. Born in Chicago on September 21, 1970, he is an attorney and resides in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood with his wife and two daughters. Notable achievements include sponsoring the Illinois Home Grown Business Opportunity Act to support local businesses, legislation addressing youth unemployment, low-interest loans for minority- and women-owned businesses, and a law allowing low-level first-time weapon offenders to apply for firearm cards after diversion programs. He has received awards such as the John W. Maitland, Jr. Leadership Award from the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Legislative Service Awards from the ACLU of Illinois and Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, and the CAARE Visionary Award from the Safer Foundation. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Senate Criminal Law Committee, Vice Chairman of the Judiciary and Appropriations II Committees, and a member of Appropriations I, Telecommunications and Information Technology Committees, and the General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. He is also Of Counsel at Foley & Lardner LLP, focusing on public finance and government solutions.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: B.A. in Political Science from Illinois State University; M.P.A. from the University of Illinois; J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
• Political Experience: State Senator for the 17th District ; State Representative for the 34th House District ; Former Budget Director for Illinois Senate Democrats under Senate President Emil Jones, Jr.; Member of Illinois State Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, and Chicago Bar Association; 2nd Vice-Chair, Midwestern Legislative Conference, Council of State Governments .