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Springfield Office:
118 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-2507
(217) 782-2331 (fax)

Champaign Office:
45. E. University Suite 206
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 355-5252
(217) 355-5255 (fax)
Open 9am - 6 pm, M-F

Danville Office:
28 W. North Street First Floor
Danville, IL 61832
(217) 442-5252
(217) 442-5255 (fax)
Open 9am - 4 pm, M-F

Mike Frerichs’ values were shaped in the East Central Illinois farming community of Gifford (pop. 800), where he was born and raised. Mike, whose father is a truckdriver and mother is a university secretary, became the first member of his family to attend college after graduating from Rantoul Township High School. He worked his way through Yale University while competing for four years on the varsity crew. Upon graduating, Mike studied Chinese and taught English in Taiwan.

After completing a year-long fellowship in public affairs with the Coro Foundation, Senator Frerichs returned home with a desire to serve the people of Champaign County. Mike ran for a seat in the General assembly at age 24, giving then State Representative (now US Congressman) Tim Johnson the closest race of his 22-year career, holding him to 53% of the vote. Previously Johnson had never received less than 61% of the vote.

In 2000, Mike ran for Champaign County Board, won, and was re-elected again in 2002. After the sitting County Auditor stepped down, the County Board appointed Mike to that position in 2002 where he won re-election in 2004.

When Senator Frerichs was Champaign County Auditor, his annual financial reports received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. During his time serving as the County Auditor, Mike became a Certified Public Finance Officer, one of the few in Illinois.

In 2005, Senator Frerichs announced that he was running for the 52nd Legislative District seat that includes most of Champaign and Vermilion Counties. In what eventually became the second most expensive legislative race in Illinois history, Senator Frerichs was elected as the first Democratic State Senator to represent East Central Illinois since 1936. Senator Frerichs enters the 95th General Assembly as the youngest State Senator and at 34 is one of the youngest elected leaders in Springfield.

Senator Frerichs’ main legislative priorities are: reforming the way Illinois funds our educational system; ensuring our public and private pensions are secure and fully funded; bringing good paying jobs back to East Central Illinois; expanding and encouraging the research and development of alternative fuels; and ensuring that the University of Illinois and our higher educational system in Illinois is adequately funded.

In addition to his time in the State Senate, Senator Frerichs serves on the local volunteer fire department, on the board of a local non-profit nursing home, and is a member of the Urbana Rotary Club. Senator Frerichs currently resides in Champaign, IL with his wife Laura.

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