Chris Welch (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Welch
Welch in 2023.
70th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2021
Preceded by	Michael Madigan
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 11, 2013
Preceded by	Cory Foster
Personal details
Born	Emanuel Christopher Welch (1971-02-06) February 6, 1971 (age 54)
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	ShawnTe Raines
Children	2
Education	Northwestern University (BA) John Marshall Law School (JD)

Emanuel Christopher Welch (born February 6, 1971), who goes by Chris Welch, is an American lawyer and politician. He is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. A politician's job is to represent the people in their area and help make laws.

As a member of the Democratic Party, Welch represents the 7th district in Cook County, Illinois. This area includes several communities near Chicago, such as River Forest, Maywood, and Hillside.

On January 13, 2021, Welch made history when he was elected as the 70th Speaker of the Illinois House. He was the first African American to hold this important position, which involves leading the House of Representatives.

Early Life and Education

Chris Welch grew up in a busy household. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a factory worker who often worked two jobs. He lived with his two brothers and three cousins.

Welch went to Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois, and graduated in 1989. He then attended Northwestern University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993. After college, he went to the John Marshall Law School to study law. He graduated with a law degree, known as a J.D., in 1997.

After finishing his education, Welch became a lawyer. He is currently a partner at the law firm Ancel Glink.

Early Political Career

Proviso School Board

In 2001, Welch was elected to the school board for Proviso Township High Schools District 209. He later became the board's president. During his time there, he helped create the Proviso Math and Science Academy, a special school for students interested in those subjects. He left the school board in 2013 when he was elected to the state government.

While on the school board, Welch faced some challenges. There were disagreements about his actions, which led to a lawsuit with the board's former law firm. The issue was eventually settled.

Illinois House of Representatives

Welch speaking at a drug policy conference in 2016.

The Illinois House of Representatives is one of two groups that make up the state's legislature, called the Illinois General Assembly. Its members, called representatives, help create and vote on laws for the state of Illinois.

Elections

Welch first ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in 2006 but was not successful. He ran again in 2012 and won the election. He was sworn into office on January 9, 2013.

Since then, Welch has been reelected several times by the voters in his district. In the 2022 election, he won with 77% of the vote.

Working as a Representative

In 2018, Welch was chosen to be on a special committee for education policy by the new governor, J. B. Pritzker. He also led an important committee that looked into a bribery scandal involving the utility company ComEd.

In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Welch served as a presidential elector. An elector is a person chosen to officially cast a vote for president on behalf of their state's voters. He cast his vote for Joe Biden.

Speaker of the House

Welch with U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi in 2021.

The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives. This person runs the daily sessions, decides which committees to create, and has a big influence on which laws are discussed.

On January 13, 2021, Welch was elected Speaker, taking over from Michael Madigan, who had held the job for a very long time. This was a major moment, as Welch became the first African American Speaker in Illinois history. He was reelected as Speaker in 2023.

During his time as Speaker, the Illinois government has passed several major laws. These include:

• The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, a law focused on clean energy and fighting climate change.
• The SAFE-T Act, which made changes to the state's criminal justice system.
• A ban on certain types of weapons.

Welch has been praised by other Democrats for giving more people a chance to be involved in making laws.

Personal Life

Chris Welch is married to ShawnTe Raines-Welch, who is also a lawyer. In 2022, she was elected to be a judge in Cook County. They have two children and live in Hillside, Illinois.

Electoral history