Laura Fine

Laura Fine (born December 13, 1966) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Illinois Senate from the 9th district since 2019, representing parts of Chicago and several North Shore suburbs in Cook County. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 17th district in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. In 2025, Fine announced her candidacy for Illinois's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives and sought to succeed Representative Jan Schakowsky in the 2026 U.S. House elections, placing third behind Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh.

Early life and education Fine grew up in Glenview, Illinois in a Jewish household. She graduated from Glenbrook South High School and later attended Indiana University, graduating in 1985 with a B.A. in telecommunications. Fine received a master's degree in political science from Northeastern Illinois University.

Political career Fine represented the 17th district of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019 and served as Northfield Township Clerk from 2009 to 2012.

On July 28, 2017, Fine announced her intention to run for the state senate seat being vacated by Daniel Biss. After running unopposed in the primary, Fine won the 2018 general election. She took office on January 6, 2019.

Fine is a member of the following Illinois Senate committees:

Behavioral and Mental Health (Chair) Insurance (Vice-chair) Environment and Conservation Health and Human Services Judiciary Public Health Worker's Compensation

Fine serves as the chair of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus, whose mission is to create policies to restore and protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River basin.

2026 congressional campaign

On May 6, 2025, Fine announced that she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois's 9th congressional district, seeking to succeed retiring incumbent Jan Schakowsky. The field also included Biss, now mayor of Evanston; journalist and social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh; former FBI agent Phil Andrew; and eleven other candidates. The Chicago Tribune said of the race that "what might once have been a largely local affair has become a fight about the political party’s direction as much as constituent issues in the district."

Fine received over 100 endorsements from political figures and organizations, including congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10), former congresswoman Cheri Bustos, the left-leaning PAC Elect Democratic Women, the Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune. Fine did not seek AIPAC's endorsement, although individual AIPAC donors, contributed to her campaign. AIPAC board President Michael Tuchin hosted a fundraiser on her behalf, and a Super PAC associated with AIPAC spent over a million dollars in ads supporting her campaign. A few weeks before the March 17 primary, Biss and Fine began trading accusations over campaign finance misconduct, and both campaigns announced that surrogates filed complaints against the other with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

According to The Daily Northwestern, "In her congressional run, Fine has most expounded upon her achievements in the healthcare and insurance sectors, which she claimed have made Illinois one of the most 'consumer-friendly' states."

Political positions Environment In March 2025, Fine introduced legislation that would ban styrofoam containers from being sold in the state beginning in 2030. The bill makes an exception for egg cartons, and manufacturers will still be able to export the containers outside of Illinois. this bill had not yet become law. Fine also sponsored legislation in 2023 to phase out "forever chemicals" from firefighting foam. She told The Loyola Phoenix that she sees a connection between green energy adoption and union jobs, and that she would work towards fully transitioning the United States away from fossil fuels in the future. Fine said she opposes federal legislation to ban gender-affirming care for children. Fine told The Loyola Phoenix that Israel hasn't committed genocide in Gaza, but has committed unacceptable collective punishment. She also said that she supports a two-state solution. Fine told The Daily Northwestern that she was a longtime participant in Hands of Peace, an interfaith nonprofit connecting Israeli, Palestinian and American youth for extensive dialogue programs over the summer, and that this was "crucial to her belief in a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians." She also introduced legislation in the Illinois Senate that would ban ICE agents from becoming law enforcement officers in Illinois. it had not yet received a vote.

Healthcare The Loyola Phoenix reported that Fine supports legal access to abortion. Fine told the Chicago Sun-Times that she supports programs like Medicare for All. She also told The Daily Northwestern that her "next ambition is to lay the groundwork for a Medicare for All single-payer national health insurance system." She first ran for office after her husband was in a car accident and their health insurance policy was canceled. Electoral Results