State Senator Laura Ellman knows the 21st District well. She grew up in Hanover Park and Bartlett, graduated from Elgin High School, and has spent much of her adult life working to move the district and Illinois forward.
Laura currently lives in Naperville with her husband, Pete, and their two adult children, Hugh and Barrett.
Laura was raised in a working-class household and was raised to believe that education and hard work could create opportunities. She was the first child in her immediate family to go to college. She proudly graduated from Grinnell College with a degree in mathematics and earned a master’s degree in applied statistics from the University of Iowa.
With more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing and engineering, including work as an assessor at a National Laboratory, Laura Ellman has built her career around solving complex problems and finding practical solutions. She has also been active in her community through her work on the Naperville Fair Housing Commission, Toastmasters and as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children and as an ESL tutor.
Laura was elected to serve in the Illinois General Assembly in November 2018. Since taking office, she has worked to protect the environment, expand access to education, protect consumers, and improve the health and safety of all Illinoisans. In the Senate, she currently serves as Chairperson of the Environment and Conservation Committee and Vice-Chairperson of the Financial Institutions Committee, as well as on the Human Rights, Insurance and Transportation committees.
When she’s not working, Laura likes to stay busy. She enjoys amateur woodworking and tackling projects around the house. She’s played basketball every week for more than 20 years, competes in triathlons and has run a marathon, although she’ll be the first to tell you that one was enough.
Laura is running for re-election to continue listening to — and working for — the people of the 21st District and making sure their voices are heard in Springfield.
