Meg Loughran Cappel
Illinois State Senator, District 49 since 2020. Next on the ballot in 2028.
- In office
- 6 yrs
- Since 2020
- Bills became law
- 28
- 69 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 17.1%
- Chamber median 2.8%
- With party
- 95%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +12.1
- Won 2024
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Education · chair
- Agriculture
- Appropriations-Education
- Behavioral and Mental Health
- Labor
- State Government
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Cappel sits in the Illinois State Senate
Cappel is closer to the center than 87% of the chamber's Democrats.
Closest: Christopher Belt, Suzy Glowiak Hilton, Doris Turner
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:50 PM ET
With Cappel’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Democrats95%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills8%
Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Illinois State Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Cappel’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.
| Date | Bill | Cappel | Dem. majority | Rep. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2026 | HB 5090: PROCUREMENT-CONSTRUCTION | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 42–12 |
| May 31, 2026 | HB 4379: ADULT CHANGING STATIONS | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 46–12 |
| May 31, 2026 | HB 4571: COUNTIES CD-AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 44–14 |
| May 29, 2026 | HB 4758: JOB APPLICATION-DRIVER LICENSE | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 41–15 |
| May 29, 2026 | HB 4339: SCH CD-HIGH SCH-REGISTER VOTER | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 41–12 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Cappel was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State Senate, District 49 | Won | D+12.1 |
| 2022 | Illinois State Senate, District 49 | Won | — |
| 2020 | Illinois State Senate, District 49 | Won | D+12.4 |
Source: 99chambers results archive
Seats Cappel has held
- Illinois State Senate, District 49 · since 2020
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Cappel has run against
- Katie Deane-Schlottman (R) · 2024 general, won
- Thomas McCullagh (R) · 2020 general, won
Source: 99chambers results archive
How we know Cappel
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/d218f82f-ce03-4277-9408-119857d1e61f
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET