Eric Sorensen (/ˈsɔːrənsən/ 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.[1]
Eric Sorensen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 17th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Cheri Bustos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1976 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Northern Illinois University (BS) |
| Website | House website |
Early life and career
editBorn in Rockford, Illinois, Sorensen graduated from Boylan Catholic High School.[2] He studied communications and meteorology at Northern Illinois University.[3]
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.[4] He retired from television in 2021.[2][5] Sorensen took a job in communications for UnityPoint Health before announcing his run for Congress.[2]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2022
editWith 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.[5] He defeated Esther Joy King, the Republican nominee, in the November 8, 2022, general election.[6] 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
editCOVID-19 policy
editOn 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.[7][8]
On February 1, 2023, Sorensen voted against a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.[9][10]
Syria
editIn 2023, Sorensen voted against H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[11][12]
Committee assignments
editFor the 118th Congress:[13]
- Committee on Agriculture
- Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (Ranking Member)
Caucus memberships
editSource:[14]
- Congressional Equality Caucus (co-chair)
- Heartland Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
Electoral history
edit2022
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eric Sorensen | 14,702 | 37.7 | |
| Democratic | Litesa Wallace | 9,103 | 23.3 | |
| Democratic | Jonathan Logemann | 5,628 | 14.4 | |
| Democratic | Angie Normoyle | 4,818 | 12.4 | |
| Democratic | Marsha Williams | 2,701 | 6.9 | |
| Democratic | Jacqueline McGowan | 2,040 | 5.2 | |
| Write-in | 14 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 39,006 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eric Sorensen | 121,186 | 52.0 | |
| Republican | Esther Joy King | 111,931 | 48.0 | |
| Write-in | 6 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 233,123 | 100.0 | ||
Personal life
editSorensen is the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress from Illinois.[1] He lives with his partner in Moline.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "IL Meteorologist Sorensen Becomes State's First Openly Gay Congressman". patch.com. November 10, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Eric Sorensen, former Rockford TV meteorologist, to run for Congress". Rrstar.com. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Kinnicutt, Grace (October 17, 2022). "Meet the Illinois-17th District candidates: Eric Sorensen and Esther Joy King". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "The Flood Watcher".
- ^ a b "Former Rockford meteorologist Eric Sorensen announces run for Illinois' 17th Congressional District". Wifr.com. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "King concedes Illinois 17th Congressional District race to Sorensen". Kwqc.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Seven Democrats join Republicans in vote to lift vaccine mandate for healthcare workers". January 31, 2023.
- ^ "On Passage - H.R.497: To eliminate the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on". August 12, 2015.
- ^ "House passes resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency". February 2023.
- ^ "On Passage - H.J.RES.7: Relating to a national emergency declared by". August 12, 2015.
- ^ "H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023". March 8, 2023.
- ^ "House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria". Associated Press. March 8, 2023.
- ^ "Eric Sorensen". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Eric Sorensen. January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "2022 General Election Results". Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
External links
edit- 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