Carina Santa Maria
Carina Santa Maria (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Illinois State Senate to represent District 27. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.[source]
Santa Maria completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Carina Santa Maria earned a high school diploma from Lake Park High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Tampa, and a graduate degree from Dominican University. Her career experience includes working as a nonprofit executive.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 27
Carina Santa Maria (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 27 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Carina Santa Maria  | |
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| = 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
Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 27
David Mathis (R) is running in the Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 27 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| David Mathis | ||
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| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Santa Maria received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Santa Maria's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- SEIU Illinois State Council
- Personal PAC
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Carina Santa Maria completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Santa Maria's responses.
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As a first‑generation American and working mother, I understand the pressures families face every day. Currently, I serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Shelter Youth and Family Services, a nonprofit supporting survivors of child abuse and families in crisis. I was also elected Trustee in Arlington Heights in 2025. I helped build and develop Illinois’ first DCFS-approved home for child trafficking survivors, advocated for housing ordinances supporting youth aging out of foster care, and consulted internationally with governments in Kosovo and the UAE on child welfare systems.
I’ve built my career by listening, problem‑solving, and delivering results—not playing political games. I’m running for State Senate to bring common‑sense leadership, compassion, and accountability back to Springfield—and to make sure suburban voices are heard loud and clear.- Affordability: This is the top issue I hear about. The costs of childcare, housing, healthcare, and other essentials, have become out of reach for many middle-class families. I am committed to collaborative, creative solutions for these issues, including:
-Capping homeowners insurance increases -Promoting smart development that strengthens our neighborhoods -Addressing homelessness with housing-first solutions -Expanding Medicaid coverage and investing in community mental health -Protecting and expanding reproductive rights -Raising the minimum wage and always standing with organized labor -Making childcare and early childhood education affordable for every family
-Streamlining transit systems to lower costs and improve service - Safety: Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities. This includes physical safety, emotional safety, and general well-being. I will work to protect our rights and safety by: -Upholding the SAFE-T Act while ensuring resources for proper training and accountability in law enforcement. -Promoting trauma-informed policing and crisis response alternatives -Supporting programs that steer youth toward opportunity, rather than incarceration -Upholding and strengthening responsible gun laws -Defending the rights of free speech, religion, the press and assembly. -Holding all agencies, including the federal government, accountable when they violate residents’ rights.
- Compassion: In a world where tension and division are common, it is important to lead with compassion. This means passing policies such as: -Investing in prevention-first programs like Healthy Families Illinois and home visiting. -Expanding support for foster youth, families in crisis, and youth aging out of care. -Expanding alternatives to incarceration for youth and non-violent offenses. -Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in every level of public service. -Building trust between immigrant families and local government to ensure victims and witnesses feel safe reporting crimes -Supporting a transition to clean energy that creates union jobs -Strengthening ethics laws to restore trust in government
State Senator Mark Walker
State Rep Mary Beth Canty
State Rep Dan Didech
State Rep Nicolle Grasse
State Rep Lindsey LaPointe
Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison
Maine Township District 207 School Board President Sheila Yousuf Abramson
Personal PAC
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Citizen Action Illinois
Illinois AFL-CIO
Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600
SEIU Illinois State Council
National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter
Equality Illinois
Illinois Nurses Association
Associated Firefighters of Illinois
Ironworkers Local 63
Latino Leadership Council
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Illinois State Senate District 27 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 6, 2026
