Eric Sorensen Bio
Eric Sorensen (born March 18, 1976) is an American politician and meteorologist serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 17th congressional district since 2023. A Democrat, he represents a large portion of western and central Illinois, including parts of the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Rockford. Before entering Congress, Sorensen built a two-decade career in broadcast meteorology and was well known across Illinois television screens for his calm, accurate forecasts.
Sorensen is the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois and lives with his partner in Moline. He took office on January 7, 2023, and currently serves on the Agriculture and Science, Space, and Technology committees.
Early Life and Background
Eric Sorensen was born in Rockford, Illinois, on March 18, 1976, and grew up in the same community he would later represent in Congress. He attended Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, where his interest in science and storytelling began to take shape. His childhood in northern Illinois gave him a firsthand appreciation for severe weather on the plains and the Great Lakes, an interest that would eventually become his life’s work.
After high school, Sorensen enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied communications and meteorology. The combined program gave him both the scientific grounding to understand weather systems and the on-camera skills needed to communicate that information clearly to a television audience. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the university and set his sights on a career in broadcast weather.
Path to US Politics
Sorensen’s path to Congress ran through two decades of weather forecasting. He began his broadcasting career in East Texas in 1999, working as a meteorologist at KTRE in Lufkin before moving to KLTV and KTRE-TV in Tyler. In 2003, he returned to his home state as chief meteorologist at WREX, Rockford’s NBC affiliate, a position he held for eleven years. He then became the senior meteorologist at WQAD, the ABC affiliate in Moline, Illinois, where he became a trusted voice for viewers across the Quad Cities region.
Sorensen retired from television in 2021 after more than twenty years in broadcasting. He briefly took a communications role with UnityPoint Health before deciding to enter public service. On November 10, 2021, with longtime representative Cheri Bustos retiring, Sorensen declared his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Illinois’s 17th congressional district as a Democrat. His profile as a respected local broadcaster, combined with his background in science and clear communication, positioned him as a strong candidate in a district where name recognition mattered.
Eric Sorensen Career
Early Career (1999–2014)
Sorensen’s first professional role came at KTRE in Lufkin, Texas, where he worked as a meteorologist from 1999 to 2000. He then joined East Texas News Daybreak on KLTV and KTRE-TV in Tyler, Texas, serving as the morning meteorologist. These early assignments in tornado-prone East Texas sharpened his forecasting skills and built his on-camera experience.
In 2003, Sorensen became the chief meteorologist at WREX in Rockford, Illinois, a role he held until 2014. During those eleven years, he covered countless severe weather events across northern Illinois and became a familiar and reassuring presence for viewers tracking dangerous storms. His reporting during major weather events earned him a loyal audience in the region.
Quad Cities Broadcasting Breakthrough (2014–2021)
In 2014, Sorensen moved to WQAD, the ABC affiliate in Moline, Illinois, as a senior meteorologist. The station served the Quad Cities market, a region that overlapped heavily with the congressional district he would later represent. His forecasts reached viewers across western Illinois and eastern Iowa, building the kind of regional profile that few local broadcasters ever achieve.
Sorensen became a fellow of the Society for Environmental Journalists in 2018, recognizing his work in communicating climate and environmental issues to a broad audience. He continued at WQAD until 2021, when he retired from television broadcasting. By the time he stepped away from the green screen, he had spent more than two decades explaining complex science to everyday viewers.
Congressional Era (2023–Present)
Sorensen was sworn into office on January 7, 2023, becoming the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 17th congressional district. He is only the second Democrat since 1927 to represent a significant portion of Peoria and the second since the 1850s to represent a significant portion of Rockford. During the 118th Congress, he was appointed to the Agriculture Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, two panels well suited to his scientific background.
In May 2023, Sorensen introduced the Stop Games Act, legislation designed to lower drug costs by allowing the FDA to reject fake citizen petitions that pharmaceutical companies use to delay approval of generic drugs. In July 2023, he secured $4.6 million for six Central Illinois infrastructure projects, ranging from flood mitigation to housing and water system upgrades. In October 2023, he co-introduced the bipartisan Upper Mississippi River Levee Safety Act to give local levee districts more flexibility in managing flood protections along the Mississippi River. In March 2024, Sorensen secured $123 million for western Illinois infrastructure projects, including water main repairs, road improvements, and river navigation upgrades, and in April 2024, he co-introduced the bipartisan ONSHORE Act to help communities attract manufacturing investment by preparing undeveloped industrial sites.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sorensen’s election in 2022 made national headlines as he became the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois. His swearing-in on January 7, 2023, marked the first time the state’s 17th district was represented in many years by a Democrat from Peoria or Rockford. In 2025, Sorensen was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
Eric Sorensen Career Wins
Since entering Congress in 2023, Eric Sorensen has built a record of legislative wins focused on infrastructure, public health, and economic development across central and western Illinois. His work has been defined by bipartisan negotiation and a steady focus on flood protection, clean water, and rural manufacturing.
Congressional Election Highlights
Sorensen won his first race for the U.S. House on November 8, 2022, defeating Republican nominee Esther Joy King to claim Illinois’s 17th congressional district. He followed that victory with a 2024 reelection win over Republican nominee Joseph McGraw, earning 54.4% of the vote and demonstrating durable support in the district.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond elections, Sorensen has secured significant federal funding for his district, including $4.6 million for Central Illinois projects in 2023 and $123 million for western Illinois infrastructure in 2024. His bipartisan bills, the Upper Mississippi River Levee Safety Act and the ONSHORE Act, have showcased his ability to work across the aisle on issues that matter to rural communities.
Eric Sorensen Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Eric Sorensen was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, in a family that helped shape his lifelong connection to the state. His roots in northern Illinois have remained a defining part of his identity, both as a broadcaster and as a congressman.
Personal Life
Sorensen is the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress from Illinois, a milestone he has carried with both pride and a sense of responsibility. He lives with his partner in Moline, Illinois, the city that has been home to him since his days as a senior meteorologist at WQAD.