{ "id": "epth8xnw07", "slug": "will-guzzardi", "title": "Will Guzzardi", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.politics", "label": "Politics and government", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions", "label": "Government and public administration", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders", "label": "Politicians and government officeholders (biographies)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials", "label": "US governors and state officials", "api_url": 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"https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.midwestern-state-legislators" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.midwestern-state-legislators.alpha-cu-to-g", "label": "Surnames Cu to G", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.midwestern-state-legislators.alpha-cu-to-g" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Will Guzzardi is an American politician, a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from Chicago's 39th district since 2015, serving as an Assistant Majority Leader.", "snippet": "Will Guzzardi is an American politician, a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from Chicago's 39th district since 2015, serving as an Assistant Majority Leader.", "node": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.midwestern-state-legislators.alpha-cu-to-g", "markdown": "# Will Guzzardi\n\nWill Guzzardi is an American politician, a Democratic member of the [Illinois House of Representatives](https://www.edgepedia.org/illinois-house-of-representatives) from the 39th district, based in Chicago. Elected in 2014, he has served in the House since 2015 and is an Assistant Majority Leader, Co-Budgeteer for the Democratic Caucus, and chair of the Economic Opportunity and Equity committee.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) • [2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Party | Democratic[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) |\n| Current office | Member, Illinois House of Representatives, 39th district; Assistant Majority Leader[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) |\n| Education | B.A., Brown University, comparative literature, 2009[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) |\n\n## Party affiliation\n\nGuzzardi is a Democrat.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n## Early life and education\n\nGuzzardi was raised in North Carolina and is originally from Chapel Hill.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) • [2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will) He graduated from [Brown University](https://www.edgepedia.org/brown-university) with a bachelor's degree in comparative literature in 2009 and has lived in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood since that time.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) Before joining the General Assembly, he was an editor for Huffington Post Chicago and the head writer for admissions at the University of Chicago.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) He taught after school programs and tutored school children for many years, and organized with neighbors against school closures and for an elected school board in Chicago.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) • [2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n## Career\n\nGuzzardi was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives from the 39th district in 2014 and has served there since January 2015.[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will) The district includes the Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Bucktown, Hermosa, Logan Square, and Portage Park neighborhoods of Chicago.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) He is a full-time legislator.[3](https://www.ilga.gov/House/Members/Details/3311) He serves as an Assistant Majority Leader and Co-Budgeteer for the Democratic Caucus, chairs the Economic Opportunity and Equity committee, and is a founding co-chair of the Illinois House Progressive Caucus.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) • [3](https://www.ilga.gov/House/Members/Details/3311) His official page states that in the legislature he \"has championed issues of pressing importance to working people and those in need.\"[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n## Electoral history\n\nIn 2014, Guzzardi won election to the Illinois House from the 39th district, defeating a six-term incumbent with ties to the Chicago Democratic political establishment.[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will) His 2014 campaign is the subject of the short documentary \"The 39th.\"[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n## Issues specific to Guzzardi\n\nGuzzardi's 2014 campaign against a six-term incumbent is the subject of the short documentary \"The 39th.\"[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) His campaign page says he chose to run because he believed that Democrats in [Springfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/springfield) \"weren't doing their jobs,\" giving \"huge tax breaks to the biggest corporations in Illinois while cutting services to the people and communities that needed them most.\"[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will) On the same page, he writes that Democrats \"should stand for quality education for every child in every neighborhood\" and \"good-paying jobs with decent benefits for every worker in every sector.\"[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will) His office has held community events including a fall family health fair, back-to-school fairs with free backpacks, a grocery giveaway, a mobile DMV event, and working family office hours.[4](https://www.repguzzardi.com/)\n\n## Positions and legislative record\n\n### Minimum wage\n\nIn February 2019, Guzzardi was the House sponsor of Senate Bill 1, which raised Illinois's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) He had earlier introduced and passed $15 minimum wage legislation in the Illinois House, which was vetoed by Governor Rauner.[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n### College affordability\n\nGuzzardi has advanced measures to make college affordable for every student.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) He has introduced legislation for free tuition at public universities for every Illinois student.[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n### Labor and working families\n\nHis campaign site lists events and updates celebrating workers and sharing opportunities, and his office has published information for constituents on food assistance, Medicaid and SNAP updates, and a back-to-school state sales tax holiday.[4](https://www.repguzzardi.com/)\n\n### Other issues\n\nGuzzardi has advanced measures to end workplace discrimination.[1](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will) According to his campaign page, he has fought for and passed major reforms to the criminal justice system, protections for immigrants, expanded rights for LGBT Illinoisans, and new clean energy policies.[2](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Meet Will – Will Guzzardi](https://www.repguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n2. [Meet Will – Will Guzzardi (campaign)](https://www.willguzzardi.com/meet-will)\n3. [Will Guzzardi – ILGA Member Details](https://www.ilga.gov/House/Members/Details/3311)\n4. [Will Guzzardi campaign site](https://www.repguzzardi.com/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US governors and state officials › State legislators › Midwestern state legislators › Surnames Cu to G*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Will Guzzardi\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Will Guzzardi](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Will Guzzardi\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/will-guzzardi. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Will Guzzardi is an American politician, a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from Chicago's 39th district since 2015, serving as an Assistant Majority Leader." }