In a word, New Trier Democrats President Patrick Hanley is basing his campaign for the Illinois Senate on “sustainability.”
The 36-year-old activist, small business owner and father does not solely mean environmental sustainability — although it makes up a significant part of his activism and political platform — rather, the Winnetka resident has proposed a 100-year mindset relating to government policy.
“Our lifetimes have been spent watching institutions of the past collapse around us because they weren’t set up to last,” Hanley said. “So sustainability runs deep through my political ideology.”
Hanley’s expansive sustainability mindset is one that propelled dozens of followers to attend his official campaign announcement on May 8 to represent Illinois’ 9th state Senate District and replace current state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) following her bid for Congress.
He has already garnered an endorsement from longtime Democratic force U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), who said Hanley is “the kind of bold, progressive Democratic leader — and fighter — that Illinois needs” in a May 8 news release from Hanley’s campaign.
Subsequent endorsements include state Senate Assistant Majority Leader Laura Murphy and Majority Whip Julie Morrison, according to a May 19 news release from Hanley’s campaign.
So far, Hanley will face Evanston resident Rachel Ruttenberg, deputy committee person of the Democratic Party of Evanston, in the race for state Senate.
Hanley said he’s been embedded in Illinois’ 9th District since birth, as he was born in Evanston, grew up in Northbrook and went to school in Glenview and Northbrook. Following a decade working in Washington and a brief stint in Chicago, Hanley moved to Winnetka in 2020 to put down roots with his growing family.
Among Hanley’s top platform priorities include boosting a “green and growing” state, according to his campaign website. If elected, Hanley said he aims to balance tensions between economic growth, progressive policies and sustainability efforts.
He said the state government is more crucial than ever in providing essential services and protection to residents following the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures and deportation raids.
Apart from these core tenets, Hanley said he will prioritize community feedback in the coming months, describing his candidacy as a “vehicle” for conversation about political and day-to-day issues.
Liz Kunkle, a Winnetka environmental activist and former colleague of Hanley’s in the village’s Environmental and Forestry Commission, described him as a “doer and motivator” who knows everyone in the community.
Hanley has built a reputation for grassroots politics as a local organizer across a range of progressive policy issues and described himself as an “organizer at heart,” and said he hopes to bring that same rallying spirit to the state Senate.
“I love bringing together partners around an issue that we care about, resolving the frictions between them, finding a values-aligned approach and then getting s–t done,” Hanley said.
Local activists and organizers also spoke to his active roles in numerous service organizations. Hanley holds roles in multiple nonprofits, including environmental conservation organization Openlands and ranked-choice voting advocacy group FairVote Illinois.
Jessica Siegel, a Wilmette resident, first met Hanley while providing services to newly-arrived migrants bused from Texas in early 2024.
Since it was her first time involved in grassroots activism, Siegel said Hanley acted as a mentor and helped generate traction for the cause with his connections to Illinois Democrats, including Schakowsky.
Siegel said Hanley is the type to “lead from the back” and fights for causes he believes in.
While Hanley recently resigned from Winnetka’s Environmental and Forestry Commission, Kunkle said his tenure as commission chair was marked by a sense of calmness whenever tensions ran high on environmental debates.
“He doesn’t get bogged down in tone or anger that somebody brings,” Kunkle said. “He can cut through that and focus on the underlying message.”
Hanley’s grassroots organizing particularly spoke to Weinberg junior Emilie Tueting, one of the co-presidents of Northwestern College Democrats.
Tueting worked with Hanley in Operation Swing State, a movement he co-founded to mobilize Illinois residents to canvas in Wisconsin and Michigan during the 2024 election.
She described his enthusiasm for politics as “infectious” and said she believes his campaign will appeal to any voter based on common ground issues.
“He just wants government to work well for people, and he wants to restore faith in what elected officials can do,” Tueting said.
While some Democrats around the country have despaired since Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election in November, Tueting said they have renewed belief in local campaigns, such as Hanley’s.
Siegel especially identified with his upbeat message and found hope in his grassroots campaign.
“It’s been a depressing few months, and it does really feel like his campaign could be this ray of light, and is helping to just take action as cheerfully as we can,” Siegel said.
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