Greg Harris (he/him/his) was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2006 and was Majority Leader of the House of Representatives until 2023. Harris served as State Representative for the 13th District which includes parts of Uptown, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, North Center, West Ridge and Bowmanville. Harris is a gay elected official in the State of Illinois, who is also openly living with HIV, and is the first openly gay person in Illinois to become a member of Legislative Leadership. He served as Chairman of the Rules Committee, and the chief budget negotiator for House Democrats.
He is a member of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, the Citizen Action Policy Council, the Board of Directors of Equality Illinois and the Equality Illinois Institute, is a Director of the Michael Reese Health Trust, and a member of Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital Policy and Advocacy Council.
He also served as chairman on the Violence Prevention Task Force and as a member of the Racial and Ethnic Impact Research Task Force, the Quality of Life Board and the House Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment.
His legislative achievements include reducing $17 billion in debt and balancing Illinois budgets,adding major new funding mental health and substance abuse treatment, LGBT rights, protecting people with disabilities, and affordable, accessible healthcare. He has been a major sponsor of healthcare reform, insurance reform, first ever Illinois PBM reform and was the Chief Sponsor of the Illinois Marriage Equality law.
Harris received the Hope And Courage Award from Lurie Children’s Hospital, the first Living Legacy Award from the Legacy Project, American Cancer Society Advocate Award, Community Pride Award from Equality Illinois, Father McDermott Award from the Haymarket Center, Lifetime Achievement Award from Illinois Association of Community Care and Homecare Providers, Legislative Champion for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities award, the Illinois School Counselor Association Legislator of the Year Award, 3 Friend of Agriculture Awards from the Illinois Farm Bureau, and is the first person to receive Gay Chicago Magazine’s Person of the Year honor. He has also received 2 awards from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for his leadership on issues surrounding youth homelessness. Rep. Harris was presented with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Champion for the Cure Award, the Chicago House Public Service Award, and was also honored with the Friend for Life Award by the Howard Brown Health Center. He has been the recipient of Equality Illinois’ Freedom Award and was recognized by Test Positive Aware Network for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
In addition, He has also received the Visionary Award from Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Share the Care Champion from Almost Home Kids, the Thresholds Hero Award, Legislative Award from Neumann Family Services, Light the Darkness Community Service Award from NAMI Chicago, and Distinguished Advocacy Award Illinois from The American Cancer Society .
Rep. Harris has been recognized for service to various Chicago communities by awards from Travelers and Immigrants Aid, Voice of the People, the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Ethiopian Community Organization, Korean American Community Services, Asian Human Services, The NAMES Project and others.
Representative Harris serves on the Honorary Boards of Interfaith Ministry, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Apna Ghar Domestic Violence Shelter. Harris and former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley shared the Human Rights Campaign “Equality” Award.
Prior to entering public service, Harris served in a number of Senior Management positions with the National Home Furnishings Association.
Greg Harris served for 14 years as Chief of Staff for Alderman Mary Ann Smith of Chicago’s 48th Ward. He co-chaired the City of Chicago’s Task Force on LGBT Substance Use/Abuse and as a member of the Crystal Meth Task Force. He is a founder and first Board President of both Open Hand Chicago and of AIDSWalk Chicago. He has served as chair of Lesbians and Gays in Government, and as a member of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. He has served as a Board member of Open Hand Chicago and as a member of the Chicago Area HIV Service Planning Council, a Board Member of the Non-Profit Financial Center, the AIDS Legal Council, and as a Director of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights.