State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Deerfield Democrat, is seeking reelection to Illinois House District 58 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Morgan serves as assistant majority leader and floor whip in the Illinois House. State representatives serve two-year terms and vote on state legislation and the Illinois budget.
The North Shore district includes communities in Lake County. Morgan sponsored the Protect Illinois Communities Act, a 2023 law that banned the sale, manufacture and distribution of assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines in Illinois, according to The Record North Shore.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Residence: Deerfield, Illinois
- Hometown: Richton Park, Illinois
- Family: Wife Sonia and two young children, according to his candidate questionnaire
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2002); law degree, Northern Illinois University (2005)
- Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
Experience and public service
Morgan has held his District 58 seat since 2019, according to BallotReady. He holds the title of assistant majority leader and floor whip as of 2025.
Before entering the legislature, Morgan worked as a health care attorney at Murer Consultants (2006–2009), then served in state government as deputy general counsel for employee benefits at Central Management Services (2010–2011) and associate general counsel in the Office of the Illinois Governor (2011–2013). He served as general counsel at the Illinois Department of Public Health (2013–2015), where he also directed the Illinois Medical Cannabis Program starting in 2013, according to his campaign biography. He later worked as special counsel at Much Shelist, P.C. (2015–2019) and is an attorney at Benesch Law.
Morgan was appointed to the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission in September 2024. He also founded Legislators for Safer Communities, according to his campaign website.
Northern Illinois University College of Law presented Morgan with its 2023 Public Service Award, according to his campaign biography.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Morgan's campaign materials and candidate questionnaire responses unless otherwise noted.
Gun safety: Morgan sponsored the Protect Illinois Communities Act, signed into law in January 2023. The law banned the sale, manufacture and distribution of assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines in Illinois, according to The Record North Shore. Morgan has called for universal background checks, closing gun show loopholes, ending straw purchases and reducing the flow of illegal weapons into Illinois from neighboring states, according to his campaign website.
Taxes and property tax relief: Morgan said he supported a fair tax constitutional amendment, which would have allowed a progressive income tax structure, according to his candidate questionnaire. Voters rejected the measure. He said the best way to reduce reliance on property taxes is to modernize the state tax code. He has said property taxes in District 58 are too high because of an outdated school funding formula and that increased revenue from a progressive income tax structure would benefit local school districts, according to his campaign website.
Health care and AI regulation: Morgan said he believes in universal health care. He said he helped expand insurance coverage to over 650,000 people in Illinois through implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to his campaign website. He sponsored the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (HB 1806), signed into law in 2025, making Illinois the first state to prohibit AI therapists from providing direct patient care.
Criminal justice: Morgan said he supports the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail in Illinois. He has called the end of monetary bail an incredible success, particularly regarding detention of defendants in domestic violence cases, according to his candidate questionnaire.
Civil rights: Morgan said he supports full equality and inclusion for LGBTQ people, including marriage equality, access to affirming medical care and protections against discrimination. He has said he will defend statutes affirming LGBTQ rights, including the Illinois Human Rights Act, according to his campaign website.
Endorsements
Morgan has received endorsements from the AFL-CIO, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Sierra Club, Equality Illinois, Personal PAC, Illinois NOW PAC, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 and IUOE Local 150, according to BallotReady.
Candidate positions and biography details attributed to campaign materials are the candidate's own statements. The Lake Forest Journal will publish profiles of other candidates in this race as information becomes available.
