Li Arellano Jr.
Li Arellano Jr. (Republican Party) is a member of theIllinois State Senate, representingDistrict 37. He assumed office on January 8, 2025. His current term ends on January 10, 2029.
Arellano (Republican Party) ran for election to theIllinois State Senate to representDistrict 37. He won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.
Biography
Arellano's professional experience includes working as a small business owner. Arellano began serving in the United States Army in 2003.
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Arellano was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations - Health and Human Services
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Pensions Committee
- Public Health Committee
- Veterans Affairs Committee
- State Government Committee
Elections
2024
See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Illinois State Senate District 37
Li Arellano Jr. won election in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 37 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Li Arellano Jr. (R) | 100.0 | 86,286 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 86,286 | ||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 37
Li Arellano Jr. defeatedTim Yager andChris Bishop in the Republican primary for Illinois State Senate District 37 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Li Arellano Jr. | 48.4 | 9,394 |
 | Tim Yager | 36.5 | 7,078 | |
 | Chris Bishop | 15.0 | 2,918 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 19,390 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Arellano in this election.
2022
See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 74
Brad Fritts won election in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 74 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brad Fritts (R) | 100.0 | 29,932 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 29,932 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 74
Brad Fritts defeatedLi Arellano Jr. in the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 74 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brad Fritts | 57.6 | 6,183 |
| Li Arellano Jr. | 42.4 | 4,558 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 10,741 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
2012
Arellano ran in the2012 election forIllinois House of Representatives District 90. Arellano was defeated byTom Demmer in the Republican primary on March 20, 2012.[1][2]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Tom Demmer | 34.3% | 5,069 |
| Li Arellano, Jr. | 31.9% | 4,718 |
| Chet Olsen | 26.1% | 3,860 |
| Daniel Sidmore | 7.7% | 1,142 |
| Total Votes | 14,789 | |
Endorsements
Arellano was endorsed by Family-Pac.[3]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Li Arellano Jr. did not completeBallotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Li Arellano Jr. did not completeBallotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2012
Arellano's campaign website listed the following issues:[4]
- Jobs and the Economy
- Excerpt: "Illinois’ economy is in desperate need of a turn around, and the first step is getting people back to work. As an employer I have seen up close how our state’s business climate has crippled new businesses and hurt their ability to hire."
- Ethical Government
- Excerpt: "The simple truth is that no system of government can work when the entire political culture treats corruption as an opportunity for self-enrichment. This must end!"
- Taxes and Fiscal Discipline
- Excerpt: "Illinois is in a death spiral of debt. We are tied with California for the worst bond rating among all fifty states, and the resulting interest payments are dragging down both our economy and our ability to function."
- Second Amendment Rights
- Excerpt: "Illinois is the last state that does not allow citizens to legally carry weapons for self-defense. Criminals, of course, need no permit. There is no reason our state should be lagging so far behind in securing our Second Amendment rights to bear arms."
- Sanctity of Life
- Excerpt: "Of all the God-given rights we hold, the right to life is the most sacred. All other rights are meaningless without that first, basic right. I strongly support legislation that would protect innocent life."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State Senate District 37 | Won general | $155,791 | $127,231 |
| 2022 | Illinois House of Representatives District 74 | Lost primary | $67,748 | $66,184 |
| Grand total | $223,539 | $193,415 | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). | ||||
Scorecards
Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Illinois scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.
Personal
Note: Pleasecontact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Arellano and his wife, Jamie, have one child.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Candidate Illinois State Senate District 37 | Officeholder Illinois State Senate District 37 | Personal |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Win Stoller (R) | Illinois State Senate District 37 2025-Present | Succeeded by - |
- 2022 challenger
- 2022 primary (defeated)
- 2024 challenger
- 2024 general election (winner)
- 2024 primary (winner)
- Current member, Illinois State Senate
- Current state legislative member
- Current state senator
- Illinois
- Illinois House of Representatives candidate, 2022
- Illinois State Senate candidate, 2024
- Republican Party
- State House candidate, 2022
- State Senate candidate, 2024
- State house candidates
- State senate candidates
- 2012 challenger
- House of Representatives candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (defeated)
- 2012 open seat
