Senator Lakesia Collins

Lakesia Collins is an American union organizer and politician serving as a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate for the 5th district, located on the West Side of Chicago. She previously served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 9th district from 2020 to 2023.

Collins won the Democratic primary election for the 5th district in the House in 2020, and was appointed to the seat shortly afterwards to replace retiring incumbent Art Turner. She won election to full terms in 2020 and 2022, and served as the Treasurer for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. On August 16, 2023, she was appointed to the 5th district seat in the Senate to replace retiring incumbent Patricia Van Pelt.

Early life and career: Collins attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois and received her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate from the Samland Institute in Chicago. She worked as a nurse in nursing homes, and later became an organizer in her union, SEIU Healthcare Illinois. During her tenure as a union organizer, she advocated for legislation on nursing home reform, the proposed Illinois Fair Tax, and a higher minimum wage.

Illinois House of Representatives (2019–23): In October 2019, she began her campaign for the Illinois House of Representatives’ 9th district in the 2020 election. Incumbent State Rep. Art Turner had decided not to run for re-election after holding the seat since 2011. Collins faced six other candidates in the Democratic primary election. On March 17, 2020, she won the primary election with 45.9% of the vote. On July 24, 2020, after the resignation of Turner, she was appointed to serve out the remainder of his term. She ran unopposed in the general election on November 3, 2020, and won a full term that began in January 2021. She is the first woman to represent the 9th district.

Personal Life: Lakesia Collins is a lifelong Chicagoan, a mother of 3, and an organizer. She was raised by her grandmother who was a stroke survivor. As a result, addressing the needs of others has become part of her DNA. After graduating from Proviso East High School, Lakesia pursued her passion to care for others and acquired certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and provided years of service to residents in several Chicago nursing homes. A single mother of three boys, Lakesia also is keenly aware of the needs of Black and Brown communities and the need to provide safe areas, particularly for young males.