Share on WeChat
https://www.powervoter.us:443/bill_foster
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
Quick Facts
Personal Details

Bill Foster (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Illinois' 11th Congressional District. He assumed office in 2013. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.

Foster is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 11th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2020.

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Foster was assigned to the Committee on Financial Services.

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Foster is an average Democratic member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Democratic Party on the majority of bills.

Foster graduated from the University of Wisconsin and received a doctorate in physics from Harvard University. His career experience includes working as a physicist and business owner.

Below is an abbreviated outline of Foster's academic, professional, and political career:

  • 2013-Present: U.S Representative from Illinois' 11th Congressional District
  • 2008-2010: Representative U.S. House, Illinois, District 14
  • 1990-2006: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), High-energy physicist and particle accelerator designer
  • 1975-2007: Co-founded Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc

Education

  • PhD, Physics, Harvard University, 1983
  • BA, Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976

Professional Experience

  • PhD, Physics, Harvard University, 1983
  • BA, Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976
  • Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Electronic Theatre Controls, Incorporated, 1975-2007
  • Particle Accelerator Designer/High-Energy Physicist, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, 1984-2006
  • Designer/Researcher, Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven, 1979

Political Experience

  • PhD, Physics, Harvard University, 1983
  • BA, Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976
  • Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Electronic Theatre Controls, Incorporated, 1975-2007
  • Particle Accelerator Designer/High-Energy Physicist, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, 1984-2006
  • Designer/Researcher, Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven, 1979
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 11, 2012-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 11, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 14, 2008-2010

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, Environment Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Democratic Co-Chair, House Research & Development Caucus

Co-Founder, Inventions Caucus

Former Member, Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Space Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Research and Technology, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Financial Services

Member, Science, Space, and Technology

Member, Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises

Member, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions

Member, Subcommittee on Energy

Member, Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets

Member, Subcommittee on Research and Technology

Member, Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • PhD, Physics, Harvard University, 1983
  • BA, Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976
  • Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Electronic Theatre Controls, Incorporated, 1975-2007
  • Particle Accelerator Designer/High-Energy Physicist, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, 1984-2006
  • Designer/Researcher, Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven, 1979
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 11, 2012-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 11, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 14, 2008-2010
  • Fellow, American Physical Society
  • Board Member, Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence

Other Info

— Awards:

  • 2011 -- Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

    1998 -- Elected Fellow, American Physical Society

    1989 -- Rossi Prize for Cosmic Ray Physics

    1999 -- IEEE/NPSS Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award

    1998 -- Federal Energy and Water Management Award (Dept. of Energy)

    1999 -- Fermilab Technology Award for Digital Photomultiplier Integrated Circuit

  • Bill's father was trained as a chemist but spent much of his career as a civil rights lawyer. He wrote much of the enforcement code (federal regulations) behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- the part that denied federal funds to school systems that refused to let black and white kids go to the same school.

Favorite Quote:

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."

  • - Bill Clinton

    Some scientist may at last disperse

  • The mysteries of the universe
  • But me, I cannot think
  • Why pork is white and ham is pink
  • -Ogden Nash
  • Favorite Type of Music:

    Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the music my children make me listen to on car trips

    • Bill's mother came from a long line of inventors, and worked in her career to help law enforcement officers get college degrees, and to help college students become cops.

    Spouse's Occupation:

    Bill's wife Aesook spent her professional career managing construction and operation of large scientific facilities. After 16 years of research at Fermilab, she worked for the Office of Science in the Department of Energy managing its national program for 5 years. Since 2008, she has been managing construction of the next generation light source facility located in Long Island, NY. Over the last 5 years, she has commuted to the construction site on Long Island every week while making sure to maximize their time together at home in Illinois

    Policy Positions

    2020

    Abortion

    1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
    - Pro-choice

    Budget

    1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
    - Yes

    2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
    - Yes

    Campaign Finance

    1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
    - Yes

    Crime

    Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
    - No

    Defense

    Do you support increasing defense spending?
    - No

    Economy

    1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
    - Yes

    2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
    - No

    3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
    - Yes

    Education

    1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
    - Unknown Position

    Energy and Environment

    1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
    - Yes

    2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
    - Yes

    Guns

    1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
    - Yes

    Health Care

    1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
    - No

    2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
    - Yes

    Immigration

    1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
    - No

    2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
    - No

    National Security

    1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
    - Unknown Position

    2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
    - Yes

    Trade

    Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
    - Yes

    2019

    Abortion

    1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
    - Pro-choice

    Budget

    1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
    - Yes

    2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
    - Yes

    Campaign Finance

    1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
    - Yes

    Economy

    1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
    - Yes

    2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
    - No

    Education

    1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
    - Yes

    Energy & Environment

    1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
    - Yes

    2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
    - Yes

    Guns

    1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
    - Yes

    Health Care

    1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
    - No

    Immigration

    1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
    - No

    2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
    - No

    Marijuana

    Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
    - Unknown Position

    National Security

    1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
    - No

    2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
    - No

    Congress Bills
    Elections

    2020

    General election

    The primary will occur on March 17, 2020. The general election will occur on November 3, 2020. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

    Democratic primary election
    Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11

    Incumbent Bill Foster and Rachel Ventura are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 17, 2020.

    Bill Foster (D)

    Rachel Ventura (D)

    Republican primary election
    Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11

    Krishna Bansal and Rick Laib are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 17, 2020.

    Krishna Bansal (R)

    Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

    Rick Laib (R)

    2018

    General election
    General election for U.S. House Illinois District 11

    Incumbent Bill Foster (D) defeated Nick Stella (R) in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on November 6, 2018.

    Bill Foster (D)
    63.8%
    145,407 Votes

    Nick Stella (R)
    36.2%
    82,358 Votes

    Total votes: 227,765
    (100.00% precincts reporting)

    Democratic primary election
    Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11

    Incumbent Bill Foster advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 20, 2018.

    Bill Foster (D)
    100%
    49,762 Votes

    Total votes: 49,762

    Republican primary election
    Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11

    Nick Stella defeated Connor Vlakancic in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 20, 2018.

    Nick Stella (R)
    79.3%
    23,992 Votes

    Connor Vlakancic (R)
    20.7%
    6,253 Votes

    Total votes: 30,245


    2016

    rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Bill Foster (D) defeated Tonia Khouri (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Foster ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 15, 2016, while Tonia Khouri defeated Nick Stella and Herman White to win the Republican nomination.

    U.S. House, Illinois District 11 General Election, 2016

    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBill Foster Incumbent 60.4% 166,578
    Republican Tonia Khouri 39.6% 108,995
    Total Votes 275,573
    Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

    U.S. House, Illinois District 11 Republican Primary, 2016

    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.pngTonia Khouri 36.9% 22,859
    Nick Stella 36.3% 22,489
    Herman White 26.7% 16,536
    Total Votes 61,884
    Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

    2014

    Foster ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 18, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

    U.S. House, Illinois District 11 General Election, 2014

    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBill Foster Incumbent 53.5% 93,436
    Republican Darlene Senger 46.5% 81,335
    Total Votes 174,771
    Source: Illinois State Board of Elections Official Results

    2012

    Foster defeated Republican candidate Judy Biggert for the open seat. Foster ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 11th District. Foster ran on the Democratic ticket.

    Foster defeated candidates James Hickey and Juan Thomas in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012. Judy Biggert ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Foster defeated Biggert in the general election on November 6, 2012.

    U.S. House, Illinois District 11 General Election, 2012

    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBill Foster 58.6% 148,928
    Republican Judy Biggert Incumbent 41.4% 105,348
    Total Votes 254,276
    Source: Illinois Board of Elections "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals"

    U.S. House, Illinois District 11 Democratic Primary, 2012

    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.pngBill Foster 58.5% 12,126
    Juan Thomas 25.1% 5,212
    Jim Hickey 16.4% 3,399
    Total Votes 20,737

    Full history



    Speeches
    Events

    2021

    Oct. 15
    Hispanics in Our Community

    Thur 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CDT

    Oct. 13