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Barbara Hernandez
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 83rd district
Assumed office
March 7, 2019
Preceded byLinda Chapa LaVia
Personal details
Born1992 or 1993 (age 31–32)
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Aurora, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materAurora University (BA)
ProfessionLegislator
WebsiteOfficial legislative website

Barbara Hernandez is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 50th district. The district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes portions of Aurora, North Aurora, and Batavia.[1]

In the House, Hernandez represented the 83rd District from 2019 to 2023. After new legislative maps were drawn to fit new census data, she won re-election to the House from the 50th District.[2]

Prior to her appointment to the House, she was a member of the Kane County Board.

Illinois House of Representatives[edit]

In 2019, Hernandez was appointed by the Democratic Representative Committee for the 83rd Representative District to fill the vacancy of the 83rd House District, which was left by Linda Chapa LaVia after her appointment to be Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.[3] Hernandez was sworn into office by Judge Michael Noland on March 7, 2019.[4] She became the youngest member of the General Assembly.[5]

Hernandez won a first full term representing the 83rd District in 2020, defeating Republican Donald Walter.[2]

She again defeated Walter for a third term in 2022, with both running in the redrawn 50th District.[6]

In 2023, House Speaker Chris Welch named Hernandez an Assistant Majority Leader.[7]

Committee assignments[edit]

During the 102nd General Assembly, Hernandez was the Vice-Chairperson of the City and Villages Committee. She also sat on the House Committees for Energy and Environment; Appropriations - Higher Education; Housing; International Trade and Commerce; and the subcommittees for Local Government and Clean Energy.[8]

During the 101st General Assembly, Hernandez was a member of the Cities & Villages; Counties & Townships; Energy & Environment; Higher Education; and State Government Administration committees; and the Special Investigating Committee.[9]

Electoral history[edit]

Kane County Board District 8, Democratic Primary 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Hernandez 418 50.36
Democratic Margarita "Maggy" Ferguson 264 31.81
Kane County Board District 8, General Election 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Hernandez 1,257 50.30
Republican Linda Pasetti-Olson 1,077 43.10
Illinois House of Representatives District 83, Democratic Primary 2020[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Hernandez 5,340 72.2
Democratic Juan Thomas 2,053 27.8
Illinois House of Representatives District 83, General Election 2020[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Hernandez 19,300 71.7
Republican Donald Walter 7,607 28.3
Illinois House of Representatives District 50, General Election 2022[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Hernandez 14,188 62.7
Republican Donald Walter 8,438 37.3

Personal life[edit]

Hernandez's parents emigrated from Mexico when her mother was six months pregnant with her.[13]

She is an alumna of East Aurora High School, Waubonsee Community College, and Aurora University,[4] having received both a B.S and a master’s degree from Aurora University.[14]

Around March 1, 2022,[15] Hernandez experienced a stroke on the House floor. She returned to Springfield on November 15, 2022.[16]

Hernandez resides in Aurora.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 42" (PDF). May 18, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Barbara Hernandez". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  3. ^ "Hernandez succeeds mentor Chapa LaVia as new 83rd District state Rep". Daily Herald. 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  4. ^ a b Wilson, Marie (March 9, 2019). "Hernandez succeeds mentor Chapa LaVia as new 83rd District state Rep". Daily Herald. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  5. ^ "Hernandez, Walter square off in Illinois House 50th District race". Chicago Tribune. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  6. ^ "Illinois General Election Results 2022". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  7. ^ "Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » *** UPDATED x1 - HGOP Leadership announced *** Rep. Robyn Gabel named Majority Leader, Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth will be new chief budgeteer". capitolfax.com. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  8. ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  9. ^ Barlow, Sarah E., ed. (November 15, 2018). "Biographies of New House Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. pp. 2–8. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  10. ^ Sandvoss, Steven S. (Executive Director), ed. (March 17, 2020). Official Canvass March 17, 2020 Primary Election. Illinois State Board of Elections. p. 120. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  11. ^ White, Jesse (ed.). "Illinois General Election Results (2020)". Illinois Blue Book 2021-2022 (PDF). p. 418. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  12. ^ White, Jesse (ed.). "Illinois General Election Results (2020)". Illinois Blue Book 2021-2022 (PDF). p. 418. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  13. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/barbara_isabel/status/1531447025992183818/photo/1. Retrieved 2022-06-01. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  15. ^ "Undisclosed health issue sidelines lawmaker from Aurora". Daily Herald. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  16. ^ "Barbara Hernandez ready to get back to work after stroke sidelined her for final month of session". The Daily Line. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  17. ^ "Error Display". www.elections.il.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-01.

External links[edit]