Dan Kotowski


Dan Kotowski was the Illinois State Senator from the 28th district. The 28th district includes all or parts of Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Park Ridge, Roselle and Schaumburg. He previously represented the 33rd district from 2007-2013 before the 2011 redistricting.

Early life and career

Dan Kotowski went to high school at Loyola Academy and attended college at University of Illinois earning a degree in Communications and DePaul University earning a masters in Fine Arts. He then served as Executive Director of the gun violence prevention organization "Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence" and as a Vice President at the Uhlich Children's Advantage Network. Senator Kotowski currently lives with his wife and two sons in Park Ridge.

Political career

Senator Kotowski was first sworn into office in 2007. He currently served as the Chairperson of Appropriations II, Vice Chairperson of Appropriations I and the Sub-Chairperson on both Property Taxes and CLEAR Compliance. His other committee assignments were Criminal Law, Higher Education, Revenue, and the Subcommittee on Tax Credits. In 2011, his expertise and success on budgeting matters had him made chairman of the bipartisan Budgeting for Results commission.

Electoral History

2012 Senate Election

After the 2011 redistricting, Senator Kotowski chose to run in the newly drawn 28th district which includes his home, much of the old 33rd district and added Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, Roselle and Schaumburg. In the election he faced Republican businessman Jim O'Donnell. He was endorsed by, among others, the Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Tribune.

2008 Senate Election

2006 Senate Election

In 2006, Dan Kotowski ran for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Dave Sullivan. He was endorsed in the election among others, by the Illinois Education Association, Illinois Sierra Club, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and then-state comptroller Dan Hynes.

Post-legislative career

On September 15, 2015, Kotowski announced his resignation from the Illinois Senate to take a non-profit management position. In 2018, Democrat J.B. Pritzker appointed Kotowski a member of the gubernatorial transition's Healthy Children and Families Committee.