Kimberly Lightford facts for kids

Kimberly Ann Lightford (born May 10, 1968) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 1998, she has represented the 4th district in the Illinois Senate. She currently serves as the Senate Majority Leader. She also works on important committees like Education and Labor.

About Kimberly Lightford

Kimberly Lightford grew up in Illinois. She went to Proviso East High School. After high school, she attended Western Illinois University. There, she joined a sorority called Delta Sigma Theta.

She continued her education at the University of Illinois Springfield. She earned a master's degree in Public Administration (MPA). During her studies, she interned with the Illinois Department of Corrections. After graduating, she worked for the Department of Corrections in Chicago.

Starting in Politics

Kimberly Lightford first became involved in local government. She successfully ran to become a trustee for the village of Maywood.

In 1998, State Senator Earlean Collins decided to retire. Lightford was then elected to the Illinois Senate in March 1998. She began her service in November of that year. This was two months before the usual start of a new term.

Important Roles and Committees

As a state senator, Kimberly Lightford has taken on many important roles. She is the Senate Majority Leader. This means she helps guide the work of her political party in the Senate.

She also leads the Senate Black Caucus. This group focuses on issues important to African-American communities. She is also a co-chair of the Illinois Commission of Intergovernmental Cooperation. This commission helps different levels of government work together.

Senator Lightford serves on several key committees in the Illinois Senate. These committees discuss and shape new laws. Some of the areas she works on include:

• Education
• Executive matters (which deal with how the government runs)
• Labor (which focuses on workers' rights and jobs)
• Redistricting (which involves drawing election district maps)

Working on Education Policy

In 2018, J. B. Pritzker was elected as the new Governor of Illinois. He asked Kimberly Lightford to join his Educational Success transition committee. This committee helps set the state's education policies.

Seeking Senate Leadership

In 2020, the Illinois Senate President, John Cullerton, announced he would retire. Kimberly Lightford became a candidate to replace him. If she had won, she would have been the first woman to hold this powerful position. However, Don Harmon was chosen for the role. Lightford later nominated Harmon herself during the official vote.

See also

• Chicago metropolitan area
• Gun violence in Chicago