Karen McConnaughay is currently serving her second term as State Senator of the 33rd District.
Senator McConnaughay is the Minority Spokesperson for the Senate Transportation Committee. She also serves as a member on the Senate Commerce and Economic Development, Education, Energy & Public Utilities, Revenue and Financial Institutions Committees. Additionally, she serves on the Committee on Restorative Justice, Higher Education Commission on the Future of the Workforce, the Committee on Pension Investments, as well as the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
Upon her 2013 inauguration to the 98th General Assembly, Senator McConnaughay immediately elected to decline all Illinois State benefits including health insurance and participation in the legislative pension program.
Prior to her election to the Illinois State Senate, Karen McConnaughay served as the County Board Chairman of Kane County from 2004-2012 where she achieved remarkable success in lowering spending and reducing the size of government while bolstering accountability, efficiency and transparency.
Under her leadership, Kane County invested in the improvement of public transportation and safety, completed construction of the Stearns Road Bridge Corridor, constructed a new county jail, initiated the strengthening of emergency response services and replaced the county wide finance system.
A member of the Executive Committee for Metropolis 2020 and former Chair to the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Planning Group of The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Senator McConnaughay has skillfully worked with local, state and federal officials to improve the management of regional transit agencies and has called for sweeping reforms in the management of area transportation. Before her election to Chairman, she served continuously as a County Board Member from 1992-2004.
McConnaughay’s ongoing commitment to the community has included volunteer work for the PTO, Girl Scouts, Young Mothers Club, Delnor Hospital Auxiliary and service on the Fox River Chapter of the Board of the American Red Cross. She also currently serves on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Executive Committee.
Senator McConnaughay has resided in St. Charles for nearly three decades as a parent, small business owner and grass roots activist. She and her husband, John, can often be found spending time with their three adult children and grandchildren.