Bill Cunningham is a lifelong resident of the Chicago community and the 18th Senate District. Prior to being elected to the Illinois Senate, he served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2011-2013.
As the state senator for the 18th District, Cunningham represents sections of Orland, Worth and Palos townships in the southwest Cook County suburbs and the neighborhoods of Mount Greenwood, Beverly, Morgan Park and Auburn-Gresham in Chicago.
During his time in the Legislature, Cunningham has sponsored several pieces of legislation designed to crack down on registered sex offenders and protect senior citizens. He advocated for legislation that would ensure the integrity of Illinois elections. He also passed bills that ended ticket quotas for Chicago police and made it easier for consumers to freeze their credit to protect their identities.
Before serving as a state representative, Cunningham spent 20 years working for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, serving as director of communications to Sheriff Mike Sheahan and chief of staff to Sheriff Tom Dart. He gained valuable experience in these positions, managing nearly 7,000 sheriff’s employees and developing policies for one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation.
As a husband and father, Cunningham has been active in his community, coaching a youth soccer team and volunteering for charitable causes. He has also worked to improve educational institutions in his neighborhood by serving as a parent representative on the Sutherland Local School Council.
He is a graduate of Mount Carmel High School and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He and his wife, Juliana, have two daughters and reside in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago.
