John Cullerton is the President of the Illinois State Senate.
In 1976 Cullerton began his public career by being elected to the Illinois Delegation to the Democratic National Convention. Two years later, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, and as a freshman Representative voted to create the Illinois Human Rights Act in 1979. Throughout his 12-years as a State Representative, Cullerton served as Democratic Floor Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore. In 1990, he was the chief sponsor of Illinois’ hate crime law, and fought ensure that protection for sexual orientation and gender identity was included.
Cullerton was first appointed to the Illinois Senate in 1991 and was re-elected to the State Senate in 1992, representing the state’s 6th Legislative District. With his reputation as a respected, intelligent attorney, Cullerton has often been tapped to serve as the Democrat’s point person on key judicial issues, including Chair of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, as well as co-sponsoring the expansion of Illinois Human Rights Act to provide protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 2005.
Over the past 30 years, Cullerton has built a reputation as a lawmaker who takes on some of the state’s toughest problems, finding solutions by negotiating compromise and agreement to end gridlock and get Illinois’ business done. He is one of the most vocal and ardent supporters of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Illinois.
Equality Illinois salutes the Honorable John J. Cullerton for his decades of public service and for his commitment to justice for all.
