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Michelle Mussman

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Michelle Mussman
Image of Michelle Mussman

Democratic Party

Illinois House of Representatives District 56
Tenure

2011 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

14

Compensation

Base salary

$89,250/year

Per diem

$166/day

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Cincinnati

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Michelle Mussman (Democratic Party) is a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing District 56. She assumed office in 2011. Her current term ends on January 13, 2027.

Mussman (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 56. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Mussman earned her B.S. in design from the University of Cincinnati. Her professional experience includes working as a graphic designer.[1]

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

Mussman was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Mussman was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Mussman was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Illinois committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education
• Appropriations-Human Services
• Business Incentives for Local Communities
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• Elementary & Secondary Education School Curriculum Policies
• Government Transparency, Vice chair
• Mass Transit, Chair
• Mental Health
• Special Needs Services, Chair

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Mussman served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Mussman served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Mussman served on the following committees:

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

2024

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman won election in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman (D)
 
100.0
 
28,615

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 28,615
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman
 
100.0
 
5,588

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,588
Candidate Connection = 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.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Mussman in this election.

2022

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman defeated E. Dale Litney in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman (D)
 
60.2
 
16,504
Image of E. Dale Litney
E. Dale Litney (R) Candidate Connection
 
39.8
 
10,931

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 27,435
Candidate Connection = 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 House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman
 
100.0
 
6,282

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 6,282
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

E. Dale Litney advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of E. Dale Litney
E. Dale Litney Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
3,628

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,628
Candidate Connection = 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman defeated Scott Kegarise in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman (D)
 
57.6
 
28,821
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Scott Kegarise (R)
 
42.4
 
21,222

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 50,043
Candidate Connection = 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 House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman
 
100.0
 
11,230

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 11,230
Candidate Connection = 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.

2018

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman defeated Jillian Bernas in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman (D)
 
58.9
 
21,352
Image of Jillian Bernas
Jillian Bernas (R) Candidate Connection
 
41.1
 
14,923

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 36,275
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = 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 House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michelle Mussman advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on March 20, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michelle Mussman
Michelle Mussman
 
100.0
 
8,361

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 8,361
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56

Jillian Bernas defeated Charlotte Kegarise in the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 56 on March 20, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jillian Bernas
Jillian Bernas Candidate Connection
 
60.0
 
3,457
Image of Charlotte Kegarise
Charlotte Kegarise
 
40.0
 
2,305

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 5,762
Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

Obama endorsement
Obama template image.jpg
During the 2016 election cycle Mussman was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama
Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements
See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives were held in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was November 30, 2015.[2]

Incumbent Michelle Mussman defeated Jillian Bernas in the Illinois House of Representatives District 56 general election.[3][4]

Illinois House of Representatives, District 56 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Michelle Mussman Incumbent 55.83% 24,890
     Republican Jillian Bernas 44.17% 19,693
Total Votes 44,583
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections


Incumbent Michelle Mussman ran unopposed in the Illinois House of Representatives District 56 Democratic primary.[5][6]

Illinois House of Representatives, District 56 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Michelle Mussman Incumbent (unopposed)

Jillian Bernas ran unopposed in the Illinois House of Representatives District 56 Republican primary.[7][8]

Illinois House of Representatives, District 56 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Jillian Bernas  (unopposed)

2014

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives 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 Michelle Mussman ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Jim Moynihan ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Mussman then defeated Moynihan in the general election.[9][10][11][12]

Illinois House of Representatives District 56, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Mussman Incumbent 51.5% 14,405
     Republican Jim Moynihan 48.5% 13,592
Total Votes 27,997

2012

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2012

Mussman won re-election in the 2012 election for Illinois House of Representatives District 56. Mussman was unopposed in the March 20 Democratic primary and defeated John R. Lawson (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[13][14][15]

Illinois House of Representatives, District 56, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Mussman Incumbent 59.9% 24,138
     Republican John R. Lawson 40.1% 16,164
Total Votes 40,302

2010

Mussman defeated Republican Ryan Higgins in the state's November 2, 2010 general election.[16]

Illinois House of Representatives, District 56 (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Michelle Mussman (D) 14,425 51.17%
Ryan Higgins (R) 13,767 48.83%

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michelle Mussman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Michelle Mussman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Michelle Mussman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Mussman's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“

Property Tax Increases

Skyrocketing property taxes are making it harder for our families and senior citizens to remain in their own homes and is the biggest concern I hear house to house. I have voted on many bills that would attempt to slow that growth and also raise the senior citizen exemption to help provide relief. As the state regains financial footing, more can and should be done to stabilize the often sharp and unpredictable burden of property taxes.

Fighting Medicaid Abuse

Taxpayer dollars are wasted every year through Medicaid fraud and abuse by scammers illegally taking benefits. I helped to pass tough new verification standards so those who don’t qualify for benefits are taken out of the program.

Creating Jobs

Creating jobs and putting people back to work is a top priority. I have spoken with far too many people in our community who have had their hours cut or who are out of work all together. We must provide financial incentives to encourage companies to hire unemployed workers and expand their operation in Illinois, and foster investments in new technology and the green economy to create good paying jobs. Corporations that receive tax breaks and then move jobs out of the state must be held accountable by requiring them to refund their tax breaks while making them ineligible for future tax incentives.

Ending the Culture of Corruption

The citizens of Illinois are fed up with self-serving politicians who have repeatedly abused our trust and misused our tax dollars. I will fight for legislation that requires mandatory jail time for government officials and employees who commit serious ethics violations and automatically strip them of their taxpayer-funded pension benefits.

Recall of State and Local Elected Officials

Too often our elected officials are failing those they were elected to represent. When this is the case, the public should have the option of recalling those who have failed them; however, the Illinois Constitution does not currently permit recall of elected officials. I support amending the constitution to provide the voters with the ability to recall all state and local elected officials.[17]

”
—Michelle Mussman[18]

2012

Mussman's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[19]

  • Preventing Unfair Property Tax Increases
Excerpt: "Skyrocketing property taxes are making it harder for our families and senior citizens to remain in their own homes. I passed legislation out of the House to stop property tax increases if property values decline."
  • Fighting the Income Tax Increase
Excerpt: "I have consistently opposed the income tax increase that was passed before I became a State Representative. I will vote to repeal this increase."
  • Fighting for Pension Reform
Excerpt: "To stop abuses in the state employee pension system that give some government employees overly generous benefits, I support reforms to cut gold-plated pension and save billions of dollars, preventing taxpayers from bailing out pension funds in the future."
  • Fighting Medicaid Abuse
Excerpt: "Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted every year through Medicaid fraud and abuse by scammers illegally taking benefits. I passed tough new verification standards so those who don’t qualify for benefits are kicked off the program."
  • Protecting Local Home Values
Excerpt: "I know it is unfair to base your home’s value on the sale of foreclosed properties, forcing you to sell at a loss. I am fighting for a law to protect home values from being based on foreclosed property and I support serious financial penalties for predatory lenders."

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.

Michelle Mussman campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Illinois House of Representatives District 56Won general$55,511 $34,902
2022Illinois House of Representatives District 56Won general$697,714 $436,279
2020Illinois House of Representatives District 56Won general$338,999 N/A**
2018Illinois House of Representatives District 56Won general$1,130,008 N/A**
2016Illinois House of Representatives, District 56Won $1,441,551 N/A**
2014Illinois House of Representatives, District 56Won $245,098 N/A**
2012Illinois State House, District 56Won $289,753 N/A**
2010Illinois State House, District 56Won $763,114 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Illinois

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


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Mussman and her husband, George, have three children.[22]

See also

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External links

Candidate

Illinois House of Representatives District 56
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    Officeholder

    Illinois House of Representatives District 56
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Daily Herald, "56th District race a party battle between unknowns," February 5, 2010
    2. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar," accessed November 30, 2015
    3. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate list: General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
    4. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election results, General election 2016," accessed December 15, 2016
    5. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
    6. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
    7. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
    8. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
    9. ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
    10. ↑ Illinois Board of Elections, "General Primary Election Official Canvass," April 18, 2014
    11. ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
    12. ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Results List (Unofficial)," accessed November 5, 2014
    13. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed December 5, 2011
    14. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed May 14, 2014
    15. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, “Official Vote - November 6, 2012 General Election,” accessed January 18, 2013
    16. ↑ Illinois Elections Division, "Illinois Official 2010 General Election Results," November 2, 2010
    17. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    18. ↑ Vote Michelle, "Issues," accessed September 26, 2016
    19. ↑ Michelle Mussman, "Issues," accessed October 25, 2012
    20. ↑ Citizen Action Illinois, "99th General Assembly Legislative Scorecard 2016," accessed July 11, 2017
    21. ↑ Illinois Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities, "2016 Illinois Community Living Report," accessed July 11, 2017
    22. ↑ Official campaign website, "Bio," accessed March 3, 2014

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Illinois House of Representatives District 56
    2011-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -


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