Biography
Maria Peterson is the Democratic candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives, District 52, in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2] An attorney and small business owner, she previously served as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor, according to her Ballotpedia survey.[1][3]
Maria Peterson was born in Oak Park, Illinois, graduated from Proviso West High School, earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1985 and a law degree from The John Marshall Law School in 1989.[1] According to her Ballotpedia survey, she is a first-generation Mexican American who served as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor, handling workplace safety cases and benefits for coal miners with Black Lung disease.[3]
The survey states that Peterson, a mother of three, worked within Chicago Public Schools to secure special education resources and has served as State Elections Lead for Moms Demand Action.[3] She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.[1] In the survey, she said she had knocked on over 33,000 doors and named affordability, environmental protection and gun violence prevention as her key messages.[3]
- 1.Maria Peterson - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Maria Peterson - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Illinois House District 52
Maria Peterson is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Illinois House District 52 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
