SPRINGFIELD — After more than five years of dedicated service to residents of the 27th District, State Senator Ann Gillespie is stepping down from her role to become the new acting director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.

“We have the chance to impact so many lives with what we do here,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “I’m grateful the people of the 27th District sent me here, and I am incredibly grateful for the privilege of being an Illinois state senator.”

Gillespie, who has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2019 and represented Chicago’s northwest suburbs, was recognized with a retirement resolution on Friday.

During her tenure in the Senate, Gillespie was a legislative leader for health care access and quality. She spearheaded efforts to expand affordable coverage in Illinois by establishing a state-based insurance marketplace aimed at reaching traditionally underinsured communities. Recognizing the importance of improving conditions in nursing homes across Illinois, Gillespie passed legislation to overhaul the state’s nursing home assessment and reimbursement methods.

Additionally, to bolster comprehensive care for Medicaid recipients, Gillespie carried legislation to expand Illinois’ Medicaid system to cover new services and raise reimbursement rates for critical areas, such as inpatient substance use disorder treatment, hospitals, supportive living facilities, community-based mental health services and inpatient psychiatric care.

As a state senator, Gillespie demonstrated a commitment to accountability and transparency. To safeguard taxpayers’ interests, she led efforts to ensure the responsible use of tax increment financing dollars through transparent processes. She also championed bipartisan solutions to address abuses of power in state government by introducing the first comprehensive ethics package in over a decade, which implemented numerous reforms aimed to prevent bad actors from gaming the system.

As co-chair of the bipartisan Illinois Senate Women’s Caucus, Gillespie helped lead the fight for full gender equality and brought forth initiatives to prioritize the health and well-being of women, including a hands-only CPR training for legislative members and staff.

Gillespie sat on the Senate Early Childhood Education, Insurance, Judiciary and Revenue Committees and chaired the Senate Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee where she oversaw budget investments to fund critical health programs throughout the state, strengthening Illinois’ ability to care for all its residents.

Senator Gillespie's retirement will be effective Sunday, April 14 at 11:59 P.M. The Senate will confirm an appointee to fill the 27th District Senate seat in the coming weeks.