SPRINGFIELD-  As the 103^rd General Assembly gets underway in Springfield, State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) has been sworn in as the Senator for the 53^rd District, taking the oath of office at a ceremony in the Old State Capitol Senate chamber.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in the Illinois Senate, representing the families of the 53^rd District,” said Bennett. “I am excited to get to work with my colleagues as we tackle the important issues facing Illinois, and to travel my new district, meeting and getting to know the people I will be representing and learning more about their communities.”

Bennett had served as the Representative for the 106^th Illinois House District since 2015. He was recently appointed to serve as the 53^rd District Senator to replace retiring State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington).

Before serving in the legislature, Senator Bennett worked as a science teacher at Melvin Sibley High School, and as an IT manager/developer/trainer at State Farm Insurance. He has a BS in Education, a BS in Applied Computer Science, an MBA, and a Doctorate of Business Administration.

Bennett lives in Gibson City with his wife. He has two children and five grandchildren. He is also the uncle of the late Senator Scott Bennett.