Senator Mike Simmons-Gessesse

Mike Simmons-Gessesse serves as a Democratic Senator for District 7 in the Illinois state legislature.

Lifelong resident of the 7th Illinois Senate District; BA in political science from Amherst College; Founder and CEO of Blue Sky Strategies & Co., a firm that develops anti-racist public policy; Former Deputy Commissioner and Policy Director of the Dept. Senator Dick Durbin in Washington; Son of a Black-American mother and an Ethiopian-American father, both owners of small businesses in the 7th District; the first openly gay senator to serve in the Illinois Senate; Resides in Uptown; Avid reader, cyclist and lover of the great outdoors. 104-0396 8/15/2025 SB1863 Terri Bryant $IDOT-PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE S Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments 7/2/2025 SB1872 Cristina Castro PLASTIC BAG REDUCTION ACT S Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments 6/2/2025 SB1883 Steve Stadelman VEH CD-OBSTRUCT LICENSE PLATE S Public Act. The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. of Planning and Development for Chicago Mayor’s Office; Deputy Director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an Obama Foundation initiative; Legislative aide for U.S.