A Quad Cities Weatherman is About to Be the First Meteorologist in Congress in 50 Years

It's no secret that representation in Congress is lacking in key areas. The United States could benefit from individuals making decisions who skew a little bit younger and who are going to be around to see those changes take effect. One former TV meteorologist seized his opportunity and managed to be elected into power. His term officially starts on January 3rd, 2023.

That man is Eric Sorensen, a career weatherman/meteorologist-turned-politician for Illinois's 17th congressional district (which is comprised of the Quad Cities as well as parts of Peoria and Rockford). Sorensen is a familiar name to those who have lived and worked in the Quad Cities and Rockford. For years, he has been giving those very same people a look at the forecast on WQAD in Moline.

The Rockford native has had an intriguing path to Congress. He studied communications and meteorology at Northern Illinois University, and parlayed that into stints as a weatherman in places like Lufkin and Tyler, TX before moving back up north to the Quad Cities.

Sorensen saw his opportunity to make a name for himself in politics when Representative Cheri Bustos confirmed she wasn't seeking reelection. Sorensen declared his candidacy in the 2022 elections last November, as a member of the Democratic Party. He went on to defeat Republican Esther Joy King during last month's elections.

Sorensen has received a great deal of support from the Quad Cities community. In a sit-down interview with WQAD, he revealed his three major areas of focus a month ahead of the election:

• combatting supply chain issues and the result of exorbitant inflation plaguing all Americans
• protecting a woman's right to choose
• protecting farmers and farmers' rights

Sorensen is also the first LGBT person to be elected to Congress from Illinois, as he resides in the town of Moline with his partner. Obviously, protecting the freedom of marriage is high on his list of priorities as well, understandably so.

Even as I try my best to ignore politics and redirect my energy to things that are more inspiring, Eric Sorensen is fascinates me. He has a working/middle-class ethos about him that I feel could play well in this political climate. I also think his story is too good not to share.

Read more about Sorensen on his website.