History

The 2010 elections were very significant for reproductive rights in Illinois. With an increased attack on abortion rights at the federal level and severe loses in many states around the country, Illinois, with the help of Personal PAC, was one of the few states to re-elect its pro-choice Governor and new pro-choice Lt. Governor. While the number of anti-choice state legislators elected elsewhere increased dramatically, the Illinois General Assembly remained stable. The election of a new pro-choice Cook County Board President and a majority of Cook County Commissioners who are committed to protecting abortion rights was a significant victory for reproductive rights in the largest Illinois county.

The 2012 elections will be the most significant in over a decade. Under an newly drawn legislative map, EVERY House and Senate district is up for re-election in 2012. Anti-legal abortion candidates are gearing up to run in these new districts across the entire state. Our biggest challenge leading up to the 2012 elections is to recruit and election pro-choice candidates in a majority of these districts. The math is simple: it takes 30 votes to pass a bill in the Senate and 60 votes in the House. We need in excess of these 30 and 60 votes to ensure that reproductive right are accessible to every woman and family in Illinois.