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Bill Cunningham (Illinois)
2013 - Present
2027
12
Bill Cunningham (Democratic Party) is a member of the Illinois State Senate, representing District 18. He assumed office in 2013. His current term ends on January 13, 2027.
Cunningham (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Illinois State Senate to represent District 18. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Cunningham was elected to serve as the Senate President Pro Tempore for the 2023-2024 session.[1]
Biography
Cunningham received a bachelor's from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His professional experience includes working for the Cook County Sheriff's Office, as community affairs director to Sheriff Michael Sheahan, and chief of staff for Sheriff Tom Dart.[2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture Committee
- Appropriations Committee, Vice-Chair
- Assignments Committee, Vice-Chair
- Energy and Public Utilities Committee
- Ethics Committee (decommissioned)
- Senate Executive Committee, Vice Chair
- Executive Appointments Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee
- Judiciary Committee
2021-2022
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture Committee
- Appropriations Committee, Vice-Chair
- Assignments Committee, Vice-Chair
- Energy and Public Utilities Committee
- Ethics Committee (decommissioned)
- Executive Appointments Committee
- Senate Executive Committee, Vice-Chair
- Senate Higher Education Committee
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Vice-Chair
- Redistricting Committee (decommissioned)
- Administrative Rules Committee, Co-Chair
2019-2020
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture Committee
- Committee of the Whole
- Energy and Public Utilities Committee, Chair
- Executive Appointments Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee
- Senate Insurance Committee
- State Government Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Illinois committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Appropriations II |
| • Committee of the Whole |
| • Gaming |
| • Higher Education, Vice chair |
| • Labor |
| • Telecommunications & InfoTechnology, Chair |
| • Transportation |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:
| Illinois committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations II |
| • Criminal Law |
| • Higher Education, Vice chair |
| • Labor |
| • Transportation |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:[3]
| Illinois committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Committee of the Whole |
| • Criminal Law |
| • Education |
| • Human Services, Vice-Chairperson |
| • Labor and Commerce |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:
| Illinois committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Appropriations-Public Safety |
| • Cities & Villages |
| • Judiciary II - Criminal Law |
| • Labor |
| • Transportation: Vehicles & Safety |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Illinois State Senate District 18
Incumbent Bill Cunningham defeated Christine Shanahan McGovern in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 18 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bill Cunningham (D) | 59.4 | 45,430 |
 | Christine Shanahan McGovern (R)  | 40.6 | 31,111 | |
| Total votes: 76,541 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 18
Incumbent Bill Cunningham advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 18 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Cunningham | 100.0 | 20,641 |
| Total votes: 20,641 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 18
Christine Shanahan McGovern advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 18 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christine Shanahan McGovern | 100.0 | 10,354 |
| Total votes: 10,354 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Illinois State Senate District 18
Incumbent Bill Cunningham won election in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 18 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Cunningham (D) | 100.0 | 64,048 |
| Total votes: 64,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 18
Incumbent Bill Cunningham advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 18 on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Cunningham | 100.0 | 31,038 |
| Total votes: 31,038 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Illinois State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 18, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 2, 2013. Incumbent Bill Cunningham ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Shaun Colin Murphy (R), who filed to run on June 2, in the general election.[4][5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Bill Cunningham Incumbent |
58.3% | 41,515 | |
| Republican | Shaun Colin Murphy | 41.7% | 29,658 | |
| Total Votes | 71,173 | |||
2012
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2012
Cunningham won election to the 18th District seat in the Illinois State Senate in 2012. He was unopposed in the Democratic Primary on March 20 and defeated Republican Barbara Ruth Bellar in the general election on November 6, 2012.[8][9][10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Cunningham |
63.7% | 60,325 | |
| Republican | Barbara Ruth Bellar | 36.3% | 34,338 | |
| Total Votes | 94,663 | |||
2010
Cunningham defeated Barbara Ruth Bellar (R) in the state's November 2, 2010 general election. Cunningham replaced Kevin Joyce as candidate for the seat after Joyce decided not to run for re-election.[11][12]
| Illinois House of Representatives, District 35 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Bill Cunningham |
58.4% | 21,649 | |
| Republican | Barbara Ruth Bellar | 41.6% | 15,450 | |
| Total Votes | 37,099 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bill Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Illinois scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 16 to May 29.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 11 to May 27.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 5 to April 9.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 1.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 8 to May 23.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 9 through December 31.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 31.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 11 through May 31. There were also special sessions. The 1st special session was June 21-July 6. The 2nd special session was July 26-July 31. During the 3rd special session, the Senate met on August 13, and the House met on August 16. The 4th special session was on August 28-29. There was a veto session from October 24-November 9.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 13 through May 31.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 14 through December 7 (extended session).
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 29 through June 2.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 9 through May 31.
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Endorsements
2014
In 2014, Cunningham's endorsements included the following:[15][16]
- Equality Illinois Political Action Committee (PAC)
- The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cunningham and his wife, Juliana, have two children.[17]
Additional reading
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Bill Cunningham Illinois Senate. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Illinois Senate Democrats, "Leadership," accessed January 12, 2023
- ↑ Bill Cunningham, "Bio," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Senator Bill Cunningham," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Board of Elections, "General Primary Election Official Canvass," April 18, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Results List (Unofficial)," accessed November 5, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," December 5, 2011
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, “Official Vote - November 6, 2012 General Election,” accessed December 31, 2012
- ↑ Beverly Review, "Committee picks Cunningham," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Illinois Official 2010 General Election Results," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Citizen Action Illinois, "99th General Assembly Legislative Scorecard 2016," accessed July 11, 2017
- ↑ Illinois Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities, "2016 Illinois Community Living Report," accessed July 11, 2017
- ↑ Windy City Media Group, "Equality Illinois PAC issues endorsements," January 17, 2014
- ↑ Illinois AFL-CIO, "2014 Illinois AFL-CIO Primary Election Endorsements," accessed March 5, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "William Cunningham," accessed February 20, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Maloney (D) |
Illinois State Senate District 18 2013-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Illinois House of Representatives District 35 2011-2013 |
Succeeded by - |
