Majority Leader, Illinois State House of Representatives, 2019-2023

Representative, Illinois State House of Representatives, District 13, 2006-2023

Candidate, Illinois State House of Representatives, District 13, 2020

Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois State House of Representatives, 2017-2018

Majority Conference Chair, Illinois State House of Representatives, 2017

Former Member, Aging Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Appropriations for Human Services Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Appropriations for Human Services, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Appropriations for Public Safety Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Environment Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Executive Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Health and Life Insurance Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Healthcare Availability Access, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, House Budget Oversight Panel, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee on Medicaid, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Human Services Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Insurance Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Property and Casualty Insurance Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Restorative Justice Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Assistance and Benefits, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Facilities, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Gaming, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Subcommittee on Wages and Rates, Illinois State House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Tourism and Conventions Committee, Illinois State House of Representatives

Chief of Staff, 48th Ward Chicago Alderman Mary Ann Smith, 1992-2006

President, Open Hand Chicago, 1989-1991

Executive Vice President, National Home Furnishings Association, 1988-1989

Vice President, Industry Affairs, National Home Furnishings Association, 1985-1988

Member, AIDS Legal Council, present

President, AIDS Walk Chicago, present

Honorary Board Member, Apna Ghar Domestic Violence Shelter, present

Member, Board, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, present

Member, Board, Non-Profit Financial Assistance Center, present

Member, Chicago Area, HIV Service Planning Council, present

Member, Crystal Meth Task Force, present

Honorary Board Member, Interfaith Ministry for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, present

Co-Chair, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Substance Use/Abuse Task Force, City of Chicago, present

Chair, Lesbians and Gays in Government, present

Member, Public Policy and Advocacy Committee, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, present

Priority Issues:

Affordable/Accessible Healthcare
Mass Transit
Homeless Youth
Affordable Housing
Property Tax Reform
Equal Marriage Rights
Immigrant/Refugee Issues
Reproductive Rights
Education
Senior Issues
Economic Development
Public Safety

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

Greg Harris was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2006. Harris serves as Representative for the 13th District including Uptown, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, North Center and Bowmanville. Harris also is the highest ranking openly gay elected official in the State of Illinois. He is Chairman of the Youth and Family Committee, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and a member of the Joint Committee on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority.
Greg Harris served for 14 years as Chief of Staff for Alderman Mary Ann Smith of Chicago's 48th Ward. He co-chaired the City of Chicago's Task Force on LGBT Substance Use/Abuse and as a member of the Crystal Meth Task Force. He is a founder and first Board President of both Open Hand Chicago and of AIDS Walk Chicago. He has served as chair of Lesbians and Gays in Government, and as a member of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. He has served as a Board member of Open Hand Chicago and as a member of the Chicago Area HIV Service Planning Council, a Board Member of the Non-Profit Financial Center, the AIDS Legal Council, and as a Director of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights.
An openly gay public official who is also openly a person with AIDS, Harris serves on the Honorary Boards of Interfaith Ministry for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Apna Ghar Domestic Violence Shelter. He was named Outstanding Young Chicagoan in 1992 by the Chicago Jaycees, and in 1997, Harris and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley shared the Human Rights Campaign "Equality" Award for their work in passing a domestic partner ordinance in Chicago. In 2000, he was awarded the Humanitarian Award by the Greater Chicago Committee for HIV/AIDS work in the African-American community. In 1998 Harris ran the North Halsted Streetscape project for Mayor Daley.
Most recently, Harris has been named Outstanding Legislator of the Year for 2009 by the Illinois Psychological Association and AARP, received the John Hammell Award by the ACLU, and received the Right Side of History Award by Tamms Year 10. Harris has also been the recipient of Equality Illinois' 2009 Freedom Award and was recognized by Test Positive Aware Network for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Additionally, he has received an award from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for his leadership on issues surrounding youth homelessness. Rep. Harris was presented with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Champion for the Cure Award in 2008 and 2009, the Chicago House Public Service Award, and was also honored with the Friend for Life Award by the Howard Brown Health Center. In addition, Rep. Harris has been recognized for service to various Chicago communities by awards from Travelers and Immigrants Aid, Voice of the People, the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Chinese Mutual Aid Society, Ethiopian Community Organization, Korean American Community Services, Asian Human Services, The NAMES Project and others. He is a two time winner of the Chicago Free Press BEST LGBT Politician Award and has been a member of the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame since 1997
Prior to entering public service, Harris served in a number of Senior Management positions with the National Home Furnishings Association.
Currently, his interests include property tax reform, transit reform, and service to Illinois's homeless youth, comprehensive breast cancer services, marriage equality, nursing home quality and affordable, accessible healthcare.