Michael Halpin

Michael Halpin is a Democratic member of the Illinois State Senate representing the 36th district.The 36th district contains portions of Rock Island County, Henry County, Mercer County, Knox County, McDonough County, and Warren County. Cities and villages of the 36th district include; Moline, Rock Island, Galesburg, East Moline, Macomb, Monmouth, Silvis, Milan, Colona, Coal Valley, Knoxville, Bushnell, Carbon Cliff, Hampton, Orion, Roseville, Alexis, East Galesburg, Sherrard, Alpha, New Windsor, North Henderson, Rio, and Good Hope. He first took office in January 2017, when he was elected as State Representative of the 72nd district in Illinois.

Early life and career
Congressman Lane Evans hired Halpin in early 2002 as his district scheduler and personal aide. Halpin traveled with Lane throughout the district, working with local elected officials and constituents to arrange town hall meetings and other events. Halpin also served as Lane’s liaison with the National Personnel Records Center, helping local veterans receive the military honors they had earned during their service.

It was during his time in Lane’s office that Mike met his wife, MaryAnn, at an East Moline Democrat Club meeting. The two married in 2005. Shortly after their wedding, they both enrolled in the University of Illinois, MaryAnn earning her Master’s degree and Mike following in Lane’s footsteps and earning a law degree, graduating cum laude. Upon graduation, he clerked for former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Rita B. Garman, in Danville, Illinois.

Halpin is an attorney by trade, practicing law at the Rock Island firm of McCarthy, Callas, & Feeney, P.C. In 2013, after only three years at the firm, he became a partner. His primary areas of practice are Labor Law and Municipal Law, as well as representing working people in their estate planning, traffic, and real estate matters. Halpin also serves on the Board of Directors for Bridging the Gap: Stand Down for Homeless Veterans, and provides free consultations, and some pro bono representation, for veterans in need.

Illinois General Assembly
As of June 29, 2023, Senator Halpin is a member of the following Illinois Senate committees:

 Appropriations- Education
 (Chairman of) Higher Education
 Judiciary
 State Government
 Veterans Affairs

Halpin was a legislative member of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission while a member of the House. The commission is composed of representatives from four states to promote development and implementation of improvements to intercity passenger rail service in the Midwest and to develop long-range plans for high speed rail passenger service in the Midwest and other regions of the country.

In 2018, Democrat J.B. Pritzker appointed Halpin, an attorney, a member of the gubernatorial transition's Job Creation and Economic Opportunity Committee.

References

External links
 Profile at Illinois General Assembly

21st-century American politicians
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Roger Williams University alumni
University of Illinois College of Law alumni
Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
People from Voorheesville, New York
People from East Moline, Illinois