Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is excited to serve Illinois as the state’s 48th Lieutenant Governor. As the first African American to hold this office, Stratton is passionate about equity and putting passion into government policy making. Her portfolio includes leading the Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative, and chairing the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, the Military Economic Development Council and the Illinois Rivers Coordinating Council. She is the chair of the R3 Board (Restore, Reinvest, Renew) and she co-chairs the Opioid Prevention and Recovery Steering Committee. Lieutenant Governor Stratton currently serves as treasurer of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. Previously, Stratton represented the 5th District in the Illinois House of Representatives. Her first elected office was serving as Chair of the Kenwood Academy Local School Council. As a lifelong advocate for youth and creating safe spaces for our young people, Lieutenant Governor Stratton is a restorative justice practitioner and trained peace circle keeper. She believes that where there is a void, we must take action to fill that need. Stratton was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and DePaul University’s College of Law. She and her husband Bryan live in the Bronzeville community and have four daughters.