Senator Bill Peterson

Assistant Leader

Bill Peterson has represented the 26th District in the Illinois Senate since 1993. He previously served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1992.

Senator Peterson serves as an Assistant Republican Leader in the Senate. He is a member of the Insurance & Pensions, Licensed Activities, and Revenue committees. He is also a member of the Pension Laws Commission, Legislative Space Needs Commission, the McCormick Place Advisory Board, the Senate Republican Task Force on Veterans, Senate Select Committee on Public Pension Investments, Governor's Comprehensive Housing Plan Task Force, and the Legislative Ethics Commission.

As a legislator, he sponsored legislation to doubled the personal exemption on state income taxes, fought for lower property taxes, expanded in-person absentee voting to municipal and township offices, and sponsored the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families.

Born and raised in Chicago, he served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a former teacher and elementary school principal at Northbrook and Highland Park Schools. He served as director of Field Services for Illinois Association of School Boards, was a school board member for Elmwood Park Unit District 401 and a Vernon Township Trustee and Vernon Township Supervisor.

Senator Peterson was elected in 1988 and 1992 as a Bush Delegate, in 1996 Dole Delegate, and in 2000 as a George W. Bush Delegate from the 10th Congressional District. Currently, he is serving his third term as State Republican Central Committeeman for the 10th Congressional District.

He is a member of the Board of Directors for the College of Lake County Advisory Board, the Omni Youth Services Board of Ambassadors, the Citizens for Conservation, the Friends of Ryerson Woods, the Illinois Historical Society, and the Township Officials of Illinois Association.

Senator Peterson is a graduate of North Park Unviersity and Northern Illinois University. He also did post graduate studies at Loyola University.