In January 2020, Don Harmon was first elected by his colleagues to serve as the 39th President of the Illinois Senate, vowing to lead a new era of ethical progress as the Senate works to rebuild trust in public service and rationalize state tax policy.
Harmon was almost immediately tasked with guiding the Senate through a global pandemic. He took steps to keep members, staff and their families safe, and he oversaw rule changes to ensure the Senate could convene remotely, allowing vital business to continue.
Harmon, an Oak Park native, was first elected to the Illinois Senate in the fall of 2002.
He represents the 39th Senate District, which consists of Oak Park, parts of the city of Chicago, and other suburbs, including Addison, Bensenville and Franklin Park.
During his time in the General Assembly, he championed early childhood education, ethics reform, curbing gun violence, protecting civil rights and expanding voter access.
He also worked to protect Illinois’ natural resources, promote renewable energy and enhancing economic opportunity for all.
Harmon was an early supporter of Preschool for All programs and sponsored the Illinois Early Learning Council.
In the Senate, he previously served as president pro tempore and chaired the influential Executive Committee.
One of his first moves as Senate President was to leave his private sector job at the prestigious law firm of Burke Burns & Pinelli in order to focus full-time on the Senate and his new leadership post.
Harmon has an undergraduate degree in English and economics from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and a law degree and MBA from the University of Chicago.
In addition, Harmon was a founding member of the Boat Drink Caucus band, a bipartisan group of lawmakers who set aside politics to perform at small venues across the state.
He and his wife, Teresa, are the parents of three children: Don, Frances and Margaret.
