Steve Stadelman is an award-winning TV news anchor and father of four who decided to run for a seat in the Illinois Senate because his experiences as a journalist and parent convinced him of the need for fresh, no-nonsenserepresentation in Springfield. Citizens in the Rockford-based 34th District elected him with 64 percent of the vote in 2012.

In 2018, Stadelman was named Legislator of the Year for his work on the statewide expansion of the Rivers Edge tax credit for redevelopment of historic properties like the Prairie Street Brewhouse and Amerock Embassy Suites hotelin downtown Rockford. Senator Stadelman previously had been awarded Legislator of the Year by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In 2019, Senator Stadelman prevailed on two key economic initiatives that had been stalled for years: He co-sponsored and helped pass legislation to allow a casino in Rockford, and he secured $275 million toward development ofpassenger rail between Chicago and Rockford. Senator Stadelman was instrumental in obtaining funding to restore service in 2014 but saw the effort blocked during a subsequent Republican administration.

During his freshman year in the General Assembly, Senator Stadelman introduced a bill to help upgrade local youth sports facilities after first resolving a longstanding disagreement between the Rockford Park District and local unionleaders over responsible bidding practices, which jeopardized the legislation. Other accomplishments include legislation to protect Illinois consumers, abuse victims and college students.

Before entering public office, Senator Stadelman worked for 25 years as a television news anchor and reporter for WTVO-Channel 17, where he developed a broad understanding of government and issues facing the Rockford area and state of Illinois. Senator Stadelman holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He grew up on a small dairy farm in southern Wisconsin and was a three-sport athlete at Brodhead High School.

Senator Stadelman and his wife, Patty, have four children who all have attended Rockford Public Schools. The oldest is now studying at the University of Illinois-Champaign, and the other three are enrolled at Guilford High School.

Although Senator Stadelman remains familiar to citizens in the 34th District as a former newscaster, he is also well known for coaching his children's many sports teams. For many years, Senator Stadelman was active with the SaraIngrassia-Jackie Confer Dictionary Fund, which provided free dictionaries to all 3rd-grade students in the Rockford school system.