About Personal PAC
For more than 35 years, Personal PAC has fought to protect reproductive rights in Illinois and has helped to elect more than 1,000 candidates across the state, from school board to governor.
Our Mission
We are a nonpartisan political action committee dedicated to protecting and advancing reproductive rights and equitable health care access by recruiting and electing officials at the state and local office in Illinois and holding them accountable.
Our Vision
Equitable access to reproductive health care in Illinois without government interference.
Our Leadership
Sarah Garza Resnick, President and CEO
Sarah spent 13 years of her career in Cook County Government, first as a public defender and then leading the Clerk’s and Assessor’s Offices. In all of those roles, she centered the work on good government reform and delivery of high-quality services to the public.
Sarah graduated from Cardozo School of Law, where she worked at the Innocence Project. She received her undergraduate degree in political science and economics from Brandeis University and her master’s degree in political sociology from the London School of Economics. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow (2023) and an Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Fellow (2018).
Our History
1975
Illinois Passes Sweeping Anti-Abortion Law
Just two years after Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, Illinois lawmakers enact the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, which included provisions that restricted abortion access for minors, imposed felon penalties on doctors who performed abortions, and included a “trigger” provision that would make abortion illegal in Illinois if Roe v. Wade was ever overturned.
1978
Personal PAC Is Founded
Activist Marcie Love started what would later be known as Personal PAC at her kitchen table to fight back against Illinois’ anti-abortion politics.
Marcie and her daughters slowly grow the operation, borrowing the word processor at a local car wash to create their first voter guides that they personally mail to a list of supporters.
1989
The Supreme Court Webster Decision Spurs Action
The Supreme Court decision in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services gives states more power to restrict abortion, signaling the beginning of a national rollback of Roe v. Wade protections.
Marcie and fellow activists Sue Purrington, Prue Beidler, Marilyn Cohen, and Missy Pascal, officially open the Personal PAC office and hire its first president and CEO, Terry Cosgrove.
As Terry takes the reins, Illinois is one of the most anti-abortion states in the country, one of only four states with a trigger law, and the only state that required spousal consent for abortion care.
1990
Personal PAC’s First Big Political Race: Mulligan vs. Pullen
Personal PAC backs Rosemary Mulligan in a high-profile Republican primary against anti-abortion incumbent Penny Pullen, mobilizing local support and national attention.
While Mulligan was declared the winner on Election Day, a recount, a coin toss, and multiple court cases declared Pullen the final winner by just 6 votes.
The razor-thin margin in this race marks a turning point for Personal PAC, proving that challenging anti-abortion power can build the political muscle needed to shift Illinois politics and protect abortion access.
1992
Candidates Win on Abortion
With Personal PAC’s backing, Rosemary Mulligan challenges Penny Pullen once more and wins.
Mulligan’s victory, fueled by Personal PAC’s support, changes the calculus of the Illinois General Assembly. Both Republicans and Democrats see that an anti-abortion incumbent, even with a leadership position and the full financial backing of her party, could still lose.
1992-2000s
Shifting the Landscape
Personal PAC helps elect state legislators who support abortion rights on both sides of the aisle and ends the anti-abortion supermajority in Springfield.
While Personal PAC successfully blocked dozens of anti-abortion bills from passing in Springfield, they continue to face opposition through the 2000s.
In 1998, Personal PAC helps to elect the first abortion rights champion to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Mike Quigley. Having Quigley on the Board allows Personal PAC to put pressure on Cook County to expand abortion and reproductive health care at Cook County Hospital.
2010s
Big State Senate Wins Create Opportunities for Change
Wins in seven state Senate races lead to the passage of HB40 in 2017, repealing the trigger law of 1975 that would have criminalized abortion if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned, and allowing state Medicaid coverage for abortion care.
In the 2018 midterm election, Personal PAC replaces some of the General Assembly’s most prominent and vocal anti-abortion legislators with reproductive freedom champions.
2019
Reproductive Health Act Becomes Law
With the threat of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Personal PAC passes the Reproductive Health Act, enshrining the right to abortion and all reproductive health care into Illinois law.
2021
Youth Health and Safety Act
After years of imposing unnecessary restrictions on young people’s access to abortion, Personal PAC’s work is instrumental in the repeal of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act.
2022
Personal PAC Fills the Gap in Abortion Access
Even before the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the federal right to abortion, Illinois is providing care for people forced to leave their home states for care. It is because of Personal PAC’s innovative and proactive policies that Illinois is applauded as a leader in abortion care.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What type of organization is Personal PAC?
Personal PAC is a nonpartisan statewide political action committee (“PAC”) dedicated to electing leaders who will protect our health and safety and fight for abortion access. We are not a “Super PAC” and we are not a 501(c)(3). Everything we do as a PAC is transparent and filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
What do you do to protect abortion rights and access?
We elect leaders we can trust to fight for abortion rights and equitable access by being the go-to resource for voters who want to elect leaders who will protect reproductive health care.
We hold elected leaders accountable by tracking their legislative voting records and working to unelect those who fall short. We also ensure our leaders hear from abortion providers, patients, and advocates to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.
We promote policies that advance abortion access and reproductive justice by elevating the voices of the people on the ground doing the real work—the providers, patients, and activists—to make sure we are passing policies that address the real needs of real people.
We work to make abortion part of every health care conversation, because abortion is not a dirty word. It’s health care.
Are donations to Personal PAC tax-deductible?
Donations are not tax-deductible because we are a political organization that is involved directly in elections.
Why doesn’t Personal PAC endorse federal candidates?
We are a state PAC. We do not endorse candidates in federal races or contribute resources to federal candidates.
Does Personal PAC provide abortion care or other direct services?
No, but we work closely with great clinics and abortion funds that do! Please visit our “Resources” page for information about obtaining reproductive health services.
How does Personal PAC decide which candidates to endorse?
Endorsements are carefully considered by Personal PAC’s Board of Directors. At the beginning of each election cycle we send out detailed questionnaires to all candidates running for an office that we are considering making endorsements in, from school board up to governor (though we don’t endorse in every race). Questionnaires are tailored to the kinds of policy issues a candidate might expect to face in the office for which they are running.
Our Board of Directors will then review the questionnaire responses, as well as a candidate’s voting record on abortion rights (for incumbents), and may choose to interview candidates in certain races. We only consider a candidate’s positions and voting record on issues relating to reproductive rights and health care. Endorsement decisions are based on that sole criterion.
If you are running for office, you can find more information at our Candidate Center.
Why is Personal PAC nonpartisan?
Personal PAC is nonpartisan because health care is not a partisan issue, it’s a human right.
Our mission is to protect and expand access to abortion and reproductive health care, regardless of which political party a candidate belongs to. We support candidates based solely on their record and position on reproductive rights, not their party affiliation.
Being nonpartisan allows us to hold all elected officials accountable, work across political lines when possible, and stay laser-focused on what matters most—making sure every person can access the care they need, free from government interference.
Does Personal PAC do voter guides?
Each election cycle Personal PAC releases a voter guide with all of our endorsed candidates so that you can ensure that you are voting only for candidates who will protect our health and safety. We endorse candidates at every level of government. That means local candidates on school and library boards, representatives at the municipal, township, and county level, state representatives and state senators, judges, and all statewide offices. Every cycle we work to expand our coverage of local candidates to include more local races in our endorsement process.
How do I find out what district I live in?
Why give to a PAC rather than directly to the candidate?
Donating to Personal PAC multiplies your impact.
Instead of supporting just one candidate, your donation helps identify, train, elect, and defend champions for reproductive freedom at every level of government—from school board races to the state Supreme Court.
Personal PAC does the behind-the-scenes, year-round work that individual campaigns can’t do—building long-term infrastructure, holding politicians accountable, and connecting the dots between policy, power, and access to care.
If you care about protecting abortion rights in Illinois and beyond, donating to Personal PAC is one of the most strategic, high-impact ways to make a difference.
Personal PAC works every day to protect and expand abortion access in Illinois. We work up and down the ballot in every corner of the state to preserve your safety and freedoms.
We work with abortion providers and funds to ensure Illinois’ policies work for everyone, regardless of where they live or how much money they make.
We are stronger when we work together.