Kelly M. Burke is a Democrat who represented Illinois House District 36 from 2011 to 2025, serving as Assistant Majority Leader during multiple terms, including 2019-2021 and 2023-2025. A resident of Evergreen Park, Illinois, for over 27 years with her husband Terry and three children , she is the first female Mayor of Evergreen Park, sworn in May 2021 after serving as Village Trustee. She also serves as State Central Committeewoman for the 6th Congressional District for the Democratic Party of Illinois and was a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Notable achievements include being a founding member of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus, a 2012 Edgar Fellow, and legislative leadership on higher education, health care, pension reform, ethics, telecommunications, and family law; she chaired committees like House Revenue and Finance, Higher Education Appropriations, and Ethics and Elections.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: B.A. in English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; J.D., University of Illinois Chicago School of Law ; alumna, Edgar Fellows Leadership Program ; adjunct faculty, Loyola University School of Law .
• Political Experience: State Representative, Illinois House District 36 ; Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois House ; Mayor, Evergreen Park ; Village Trustee, Evergreen Park; Evergreen Park Library Board Trustee ; prior staff role at Saint Xavier University ; attorney practicing family, municipal, and insurance defense law at Odelson & Sterk; Senior Consultant, Cornerstone Government Affairs . Former committee roles include Chair/Vice Chair of Higher Education, Appropriations for Higher Education, Healthcare Licenses, Tollway Oversight, and Agriculture and Conservation.