Dagmara Avelar serves as State Representative for Illinois’ 85th District, a community she has proudly called home since emigrating from Quito, Ecuador at the age of 12. A graduate of Bolingbrook High School and Northeastern Illinois University, Rep. Avelar is completing her Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

A formerly undocumented DREAMer who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, Rep. Avelar has dedicated over a decade to advocating for working families, immigrants, and historically underserved communities. Before her election in 2020, she was Director of Programs at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, where she led the state’s largest naturalization initiative, partnering with 59 community organizations to expand citizenship access and language equity.

In Springfield, Rep. Avelar serves on the Speaker of the House’s leadership team as Assistant Majority Leader, helping to guide legislative priorities for the Democratic Caucus. She has championed legislation to protect drinking water, expand affordable healthcare, combat the opioid crisis, and invest in affordable housing. She has also secured over $100 million in state funding for education, infrastructure, social services, small businesses, and workforce development in her district.

A lifelong community organizer, Rep. Avelar’s commitment to civic engagement began as a teenager mobilizing disenfranchised voters in the southwest suburbs. She continues to bring that grassroots perspective to her work on key legislative committees and boards, including the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Board and the Task Force on Foster Youth Transitioning Out of Care.

Guided by her lived experience and deep roots in her community, Rep. Avelar is a tireless advocate for equity, economic opportunity, and a government that works for all.