Eric Sorensen, Illinois

Eric Sorensen is a Democratic U.S. Representative serving Illinois' 17th Congressional District since 2023. A University of Iowa graduate, he spent over two decades as a television meteorologist in the Quad Cities, earning an Emmy Award and becoming a trusted voice on severe weather and climate across central and western Illinois. He is the first openly gay person elected to Congress from Illinois, and serves on the Agriculture Committee, focusing on supporting family farms, rural broadband expansion, ethanol and biofuels, and climate-resilient agriculture policy.