Get to Know Your Legislators
Building relationships with your legislators allows you to better advocate for yourself and your community.
Knowing who your legislators are is an important aspect of civic engagement. Voting is an integral part of citizenship and one of the best ways you can exercise your rights is to help elect legislators who represent you. To create the best future for yourself and your community, you must know who you are voting for and why you are voting for them.
Taking the time to learn about your legislators can be a valuable asset because their experiences inform their public policy decisions. When interacting with legislators it is important to understand them as people first. While researching a legislator, look for experiences you may have in common with them that might allow you to make a personal connection. Once you have made a personal connection, a fruitful professional relationship may develop more naturally.
Below, you will find ways to get to know more about your legislators.
Get To Know Your Legislators
Here are ways to get to know your legislators.
Look Them Up
*Coming soon.* Starting later this summer, our website will provide you with a tool to look up your legislators.
Questionnaire Responses: Read Their Own Words
See How Your Legislators Responded to Restore Justice’s Candidate Questionnaire
Read the Candidate QuestionnaireILGA.gov
The Illinois General Assembly maintains a website that includes a comprehensive list of Senators and Representatives. Look at your legislators’ page, read their bio, and look at the bills they’ve sponsored and which committees they serve on.
Find More InfoSee Who Donates to Them
Look up donation information for your legislators.
Learn MoreTheir Websites & Social Media Accounts
Many legislators maintain websites or social media accounts – such as Twitter or Instagram – with information on their views and current areas of focus.