With long-time U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos retiring this year, IL-17 became an open seat; it is rated a toss-up by Cook. The good news for Democrats: is that redistricting, has made the district bluer. Biden would have won this new district with 54% of the vote.

Eric Sorensen is the clear choice to carry on Cong. Cheri Bustos’ legacy of putting compromise and results-driven leadership first. In Congress, Sorensen will put facts and honesty ahead of political gamesmanship as he works to bring down rising costs and create more economic opportunity in Illinois

In contrast, his opponent, Esther Joy King, recently moved to the district from Chicago; she has made it clear that she would fall in line with House Republicans – peddling the Big Lie, opposing a woman’s right to choose, and voting in lockstep with the interests of her donors.

Eric Sorensen grew up in a middle-class family in Rockford and saw how even when the economy is doing well for some, it doesn’t do enough to reward hard work in places far away from big cities. It’s why he is committed to addressing the rising costs hitting Americans’ pocketbooks, bringing good-paying union jobs back to Northwest Illinois, and investing in trade schools, apprenticeships, and skills training programs to make sure anyone who’s willing to work has a chance to get ahead.

From a young age, Sorensen knew that he wanted to be “TV Eric.” At age 27, that dream came true when he became the chief meteorologist at WREX in Rockford.  

Paying it forward, Sorensen started Project Tornado, an initiative that brings meteorologists into schools to help kids feel safer during severe weather, a program that educated 50,000 students. After 11 years working in Rockford, he moved to Moline and spent seven years delivering weather to the Quad Cities.

Sorensen came out while attending Northern Illinois University and today he lives in Moline with his partner, Shawn, and their two dogs, Oliver and Petey.

Sorensen believes that abortion is health care, and he would fight for women’s reproductive health rights. In addition, as a gay man, he believes that Congress needs to codify equal marriage.

Early in his career, Sorenson started discussing climate change with his viewers when it was not a popular thing to do. To him, it isn’t political; his job as a meteorologist has been to speak the truth. There is not a single climate communicator in Congress who matches the communication and climate science backgrounds of Sorensen. He knows that climate change is real and serious and believes that now is the time to act.

Sorensen supports the 2nd Amendment and believes in protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. He also believes that we need to protect our families and keep deadly weapons out of the hands of violent criminals, domestic abusers, and those that seek to cause harm. As Sorensen has said, “That’s just common sense and from speaking with voters across our district, it’s what I hear. I believe it’s important that we protect our communities by banning ghost guns and assault weapons.”