Patricia Van Pelt

Van Pelt was born on the Near North Side and raised in the Cabrini–Green public housing.{{cite web |url=http://www.patriciaforchicago.com/?page_id=10|title= About Patricia Van Pelt Watkins|publisher=Patricia Van Pelt Watkins for Illinois Senate 5th District|access-date=2012-12-28}} Inspired by her mother's ability to work, raise her children and go to school,{{cite web |url=http://www.patriciaforchicago.com/?page_id=10|title= About Patricia Van Pelt Watkins|publisher=Patricia Van Pelt Watkins for Illinois Senate 5th District |access-date=2012-12-28}} she took a job as a steelworker while taking classes at Truman College. She earned a bachelor's in public administration and became a CPA after taking accounting classes at DePaul University.{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/134968/patricia-van-pelt-watkins#.UN28reRlXCg|title= Senator Patricia Van Pelt Watkins Biography |publisher=Project VoteSmart|access-date=2012-12-28}}

Using her life experience and education, she founded Target Development Corp, which worked to improve communities. This including teaching residents how to peacefully evict drug dealers from their neighborhoods. In 2009, she earned a doctorate in nonprofit management from Capella University.{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/government/patricia-van-pelt-watkins-PEPLT00008030.topic|title= Patricia Van Pelt Watkins Highlights|publisher=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2012-12-28}}

{{Main|Chicago mayoral election, 2011}}

In 2010, Van Pelt announced that she was going to run for mayor in order to bring ideas to the forefront that had been forgotten about. During the campaign, she was accused of "being strung out on crack for twenty years," by candidate and former US Senator Carol Moseley Braun, which Watkins credits to her future political success.{{cite web

|url=http://www.chicagojournal.com/news/03-21-2012/Patricia_Van_Pelt_Watkins_ousts_Annazette_Collins_in_5th

|author= Meyerson, Ben and La Risa Lynch|title= Patricia Van Pelt Watkins ousts Annazette Collins in 5th|publisher=Chicago Journal|access-date=2012-12-28}} She finished fifth on election day.

After the election, Van Pelt was appointed by the Illinois State Board of Education to the State Charter School Commission for a term ending November 1, 2013.{{cite web|editor-last=Wolff|editor-first=Jonathan P.|title=42000 State Charter School Commission|work=Expiration and Vacancy Report for the Governor of Illinois|publisher=Illinois Legislative Research Unit|date=October 31, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2018|page=347|url=http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/Gov.pdf}} The State Charter School Commission authorizes charter schools throughout the State, particularly schools designed to expand opportunities for at-risk students.{{cite web|last=Gruber|first=Amanda|title=Publication 425: State Board and Commission Descriptions|publisher=Illinois Legislative Research Unit|date=August 1, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018|page=523|url=http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/Descriptions.pdf}}

{{Main|Illinois Senate elections, 2012}}

In 2011, Van Pelt announced that she would challenge Annazette Collins for the Illinois Senate's 5th district. During the primary election she was endorsed by several aldermen from the fifth district,{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/patricia-watkins-annazette-collins-illinios-5th-district-senate_n_1342950.html|author= Erbentraut, Joseph|title= Patricia Watkins Challenges Annazette Collins In Nasty Race For Illinois' 5th District Senate Seat |publisher=Huffington Post|access-date=2012-12-28|date=2012-03-16}} and the Chicago Journal.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagojournal.com/news/03-07-2012/Endorsement:_Patricia_Van_Pelt-Watkins_for_state_senate|author= Editorial Board|title= Endorsement: Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins for state senate|publisher=Chicago Journal|access-date=2012-12-28}}

Aldermanic endorsements included Walter Burnett and Bob Fioretti. Fioretti stated that "Her integrity is beyond reproach. She will roll her sleeves up and research the issues and make the right decisions for all the people. She won't be beholden to the special interests that control Springfield right now."{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagojournal.com/news/01-04-2012/Van_Pelt-Watkins_gains_support_for_5th_District_seat_as_residency_issues_dog_Collins |title=Van Pelt-Watkins gains support for 5th District seat as residency issues dog Collins {{!}} News {{!}} Chicago Journal |website=www.chicagojournal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108210848/http://www.chicagojournal.com/News/01-04-2012/Van_Pelt-Watkins_gains_support_for_5th_District_seat_as_residency_issues_dog_Collins |archive-date=2012-01-08}} She was also endorsed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who previously supported Collins, after Collins's corruption came to the forefront. Van Pelt beat Collins by a 54%-46% margin.

Van Pelt was sworn in on January 9, 2013.

As of July 2022, Senator Van Pelt is a member of the following Illinois Senate committees:{{Cite web |title=Illinois General Assembly - Senator Committees |url=https://ilga.gov/senate/SenCommittees.asp?MemberID=2858 |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=ilga.gov}}

• Agriculture Committee (SAGR)
• Appropriations - State Law Enforcement Committee (SAPP-SASL)
• Appropriations - Health Committee (SAPP-SAHA)
• Criminal Law Committee (SCCL)
• Energy and Public Utilities Committee (SENE)
• (Chairwoman of) Healthcare Access and Availability Committee (SHAA)
• Redistricting - Chicago West and Western Cook County (SRED-SRWW)
• State Government Committee (SGOA)

Despite winning election to a four-year term in the 2022 election, Van Pelt announced her retirement on July 26, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-26 |title=Illinois State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt announces retirement |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-senator-van-pelt-retires-20230727-nlxmsju7bnf5bgifa2woshv6oe-story.html |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=Chicago Tribune}} Illinois State Representative Lakesia Collins was appointed to succeed her.{{Cite web |last=Kapos |first=Shia |date=2023-08-16 |title=Dems' thrill of victory, agony of defeat |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2023/08/16/dems-thrill-of-victory-agony-of-defeat-00111423 |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://my.ilga.gov/Member/Index/2035?tab=1&chamber=S Biography, bills and committees] at the 98th Illinois General Assembly
• By session: [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=2223 99th], [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=98&MemberID=2035 98th]
• [http://senatorvanpelt.com/ Illinois State Senator Van Pelt] legislative website
• [http://ilsenatedems.org/sen-patricia-van-pelt-watkins-5th-district/ Senator Patricia Van Pelt Watkins] at Illinois Senate Democrats
• [http://www.patriciaforchicago.com/ Patricia Van Pelt Watkins for Senate] campaign website
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=134968 | fec= | congress= }}

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Category:1957 births

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:Democratic Party Illinois state senators

Category:DePaul University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Chicago

Category:Women state legislators in Illinois

Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly