Eric Sorensen (politician)

Eric Sorensen (born March 18, 1976) is an American meteorologist and politician serving as the U.S. representative from IL's 17th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Sorensen is the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois.

Early life and career
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Sorensen graduated from Boylan Catholic High School. He studied communications and meteorology at Northern Illinois University.

Sorensen began his career as a meteorologist at KTRE, the ABC affiliate in Lufkin, Texas, from 1999 to 2000 before moving to Tyler, Texas, where he was the morning meteorologist for East Texas News Daybreak, which aired on both KLTV and KTRE-TV. He worked as chief meteorologist for WREX, Rockford's NBC affiliate, from 2003 to 2014, before becoming the senior meteorologist for WQAD, the ABC affiliate of Moline, Illinois. Sorensen became a fellow of the Society for Environmental Journalists in 2018. He retired from television in 2021. Sorensen took a job in communications for UnityPoint Health before announcing his run for Congress.

2022
With Cheri Bustos not seeking re-election, Sorensen declared his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for IL's 17th congressional district in the 2022 elections on November 10, 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party. He defeated Esther Joy King, the Republican nominee, in the November 8, 2022, general election.

COVID-19 policy
On January 31, 2023, Sorensen voted against H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill that would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.

On February 1, 2023, Sorensen voted against a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

Syria
In 2023, Sorensen voted against H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:
 * Committee on Agriculture
 * Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
 * Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
 * Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (Ranking Member)

Caucus memberships
Source:
 * Congressional Equality Caucus (co-chair)
 * Heartland Caucus
 * New Democrat Coalition

Personal life
Sorensen is the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress from Illinois. He lives with his partner in Moline.