Abdelnasser Rashid is a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, serving the 21st District. Born and raised in Chicago, Rep. Rashid is the first Palestinian American and one of the first Muslim Americans elected to the Illinois General Assembly. His historic 2022 election victory was marked by his deep commitment to advocating for working families, immigrants, and marginalized communities.
Rep. Rashid’s holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance & Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Prior to his election, he worked as a Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County Clerk David Orr, Chief Policy Officer for Assessor Fritz Kaegi, and key strategist for Congressman Chuy Garcia’s mayoral campaign in Chicago. He also served as Illinois Deputy Director for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign.
In the Illinois House, Rep. Rashid has been a vocal champion for progressive policies, including healthcare access, environmental sustainability, and criminal justice reform. He co-chairs the Illinois Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force. Rep. Rashid has taken a prominent stand in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, leading efforts to advocate for Palestinian rights and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
