- Source: Eric Sorensen (politician)
Eric Sorensen ( SOAR-ən-sən; born March 18, 1976) is an American meteorologist and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 17th congressional district since 2023. His district covers a large swath of western and central Illinois, centered around Moline, Rock Island and the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. It also includes large slices of Peoria and Rockford. A member of the Democratic Party, Sorensen is the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois.
Early life and career
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Sorensen graduated from Boylan Catholic High School. He studied communications and meteorology at Northern Illinois University.
Sorensen began his career as a meteorologist at KTRE, the ABC affiliate in Lufkin, Texas, from 1999 to 2000 before moving to Tyler, Texas, where he was the morning meteorologist for East Texas News Daybreak, which aired on both KLTV and KTRE-TV. He worked as chief meteorologist for WREX, Rockford's NBC affiliate, from 2003 to 2014, before becoming the senior meteorologist for WQAD, the ABC affiliate of Moline, Illinois. Sorensen became a fellow of the Society for Environmental Journalists in 2018. He retired from television in 2021. Sorensen took a job in communications for UnityPoint Health before announcing his run for Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
= Elections
=2022
With Cheri Bustos not seeking re-election, Sorensen declared his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Illinois's 17th congressional district in the 2022 elections on November 10, 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party. He defeated Esther Joy King, the Republican nominee, in the November 8, 2022, general election. Upon taking office in January 2023, Sorensen became only the second Democrat since 1927 to represent a significant portion of Peoria, and the second since the 1850s to represent a significant portion of Rockford.
= Tenure
=COVID-19 policy
On January 31, 2023, Sorensen voted against H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill that would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.
On February 1, 2023, Sorensen voted against a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.
Syria
In 2023, Sorensen voted against H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.
= Committee assignments
=For the 118th Congress:
Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (Ranking Member)
= Caucus memberships
=Source:
Congressional Equality Caucus (co-chair)
Heartland Caucus
New Democrat Coalition
Electoral history
= 2022
=Personal life
Sorensen is the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress from Illinois. He lives with his partner in Moline.
References
External links
Congressman Eric Sorensen official U.S. House website
Eric Sorensen for Illinois campaign website
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Profile at Vote Smart
Appearances on C-SPAN
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