Loughran Cappel sworn in to represent Illinois 49th Senate District

Meg Loughran Cappel is officially the new state senator in the Illinois 49th District.

She was sworn in on Thursday at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers building in Joliet.

Loughran Cappel, D-Joliet, takes over for Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood, who took over as the new Will County executive this month. Bertino-Tarrant told The Herald-News she would resign her seat in the Illinois Senate before being sworn in as county executive.

This allowed for Loughran Cappel to be sworn in before the beginning of the new legislative session.

“It is an honor to represent the hardworking families of our district in Springfield,” Loughran Cappel said in a news release. “We have important decisions to make this upcoming legislative session and I am ready to fight to protect our local businesses, ensure our children and educators have the resources to be successful and for common sense measures that will grow our region’s economy.”

Loughran Cappel has worked as a special education teacher in Joliet District 86 and served as a member of the Joliet Township High School Board of Education.

She defeated two other candidates in the Democratic primary race last March. Then last month she defeated Republican Tom McCullagh in the general election in a purple district represented in the Illinois House by both a Republican and Democrat.

Senate District 49 includes all or parts of Joliet, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Naperville, Aurora and Channahon.