Guzzardi was born in New York City.[2] He grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before attending Brown University for college, where he graduated with a comparative literature degree.[3]
He moved to Chicago in 2009 and worked as an associate editor for the Chicago branch of theHuffington Post.[3] He later worked as the head writer for theUniversity of Chicago Office of College Admissions.[4][5]
In 2012, Guzzardi ran for the Illinois House of Representatives, but lost by 125 votes[6] to the incumbentMaria Antonia Berrios, daughter of then Cook Country Democratic Party Chairman,Joseph Berrios. Berrios had the support of the Chicago Democratic establishment behind her, including endorsements from Cook County Board PresidentToni Preckwinkle as well as Illinois House SpeakerMike Madigan.
In 2014, Guzzardi again ran for the seat in one of the most-followed races in the city that year with the support of progressive groups like the Chicago Teachers Union and other progressive elected officials. Ultimately, Guzzardi defeated Berrios by a 20% margin.[7]
As State Representative, Guzzardi has focused on issues pertaining to labor rights, progressive causes, and assistance for working families. Some of his enacted bills include:
SB1 - Raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Illinois[11]
SB667 - A measure that caps the cost of insulin co-payments for insurance plans for 260,000 Illinoisans at $100 per month[12]
SB1351 - A student loan bill of rights to protect individuals with student loan debt from predatory lending practices[13]
HB303 - A law that reforms civic asset forfeitures practices by Illinois law enforcement to ensure Illinoisan's property is not taken unjustly[14]
SB2746 - A law that eliminates the “tampon tax” on feminine hygiene products. Previously, these products were subjected to being taxed as luxuries instead of medical essentials.[15]
SB3762 - A law that eliminates the Death Penalty for Sentencing Treason in Illinois. Effective 1/1/2024.[16]
In 2018,J. B. Pritzker appointed Guzzardi a member of the gubernatorial transition's Job Creation and Economic Opportunity Committee.[17]
