State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel began representing the 49^th Senate District in December 2020 following years of shaping lives as a special education teacher and advocate.

Loughran Cappel has long been dedicated to fostering inclusive environments for students to learn and thrive. She first entered the professional world as a special education teacher. In 2015, Loughran Cappel became a union representative for her school’s teacher’s union — AFT-IFT Local 604 – to support other educators and help them have meaningful careers.

Two years later, she served on the Joliet High School Board, where she worked to improve school safety and technical problems within the district.

As a Joliet native, Loughran Cappel had dedicated her life to giving back to the community that helped shape her into the person she is today. In her free time, Loughran Cappel can often be found volunteering at her church or her children’s schools.

She is a member of the Plainfield-Shorewood Chamber of Commerce and Romeoville Chamber of Commerce.

Senator Loughran Cappel serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations Education Committee and is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Education, Labor and State Government Committees.

Loughran Cappel and her husband own a small business located in Shorewood where they reside. Together they have three children.