Senator Ann Gillespie Contact information

Ann Gillespie is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate for the 27th district. The district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes parts of Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Barrington, Inverness, Palatine, Prospect Heights and South Barrington.

Born in 1958 or 1959, Gillespie is a lifelong resident of the Northwest suburbs. She has been a full-time state legislator since she assumed office on January 9, 2019. Prior to her political career, Gillespie was a retired healthcare attorney.

Gillespie’s journey into public service was inspired by the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., in early 2017. This event compelled her to get involved in grassroots organizing and ultimately to run for public office. In November 2018, she won a State Senate seat and the opportunity to represent the people of the 27th Senate District.

Gillespie brings a unique perspective to the state legislature. As a retired business executive and lifelong resident of the northwest suburbs, she is committed to improving Illinois’ financial outlook, its business climate and the quality of life for people in the 27th District and beyond.

Education has always been a priority for Gillespie. She understands the importance of public P-12 education, having attended Brentwood Elementary School in Des Plaines. Her two children, Gillian and Kevin, attended Juliette Low Elementary School in Arlington Heights. Gillespie earned a history degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before graduating from law school at DePaul University. She believes Illinois should invest properly in its world-class universities and community colleges, as well as in career and technical training.

Gillespie’s interest in health care runs deep, going back to a part-time job as a unit clerk for Lutheran General Hospital. Her law background has allowed her to work in nearly every area of health care – as a staff attorney for a nonprofit HMO in Chicago, as a health care attorney at a large Chicago law firm, as a consultant in managed health care and as an executive with CVS Health’s Caremark division.

Protecting Illinois’ social safety net is a priority for Gillespie, who worked minimum wage jobs as a youth to help support her family after her father suffered serious injuries in a plane crash. She also utilized state programs that enabled her to go to college.

Senator Gillespie is the chair of the Senate Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee and sits on the Early Childhood Education, Insurance, Judiciary and Revenue Committees.