ABOUT MAURICE.
🌟 Background & Education
Maurice A. West II was born on June 20, 1985, in Elgin, Illinois, and raised in the heart of Rockford, part of the 67th House District he now represents. A proud graduate of Jefferson High School (Class of 2003), he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology & Sociology from Illinois College and a Master of Art in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
🚀 Professional & Community Leadership
After completing his education, Rep. West served as a Career Counselor in the Dislocated Workers Program at Rock Valley College (RVC), helping laid‑off Rockford residents retrain and reenter the workforce. He later became Director of Career Development at Rockford University, further advancing his passion for workforce development initiatives.
An ordained minister and Worship Pastor of the West Side Church in Rockford and an award‑winning music producer, Maurice is the founder of Music with Pleasure, LLC and launched Share the Warmth – Rockford, an annual initiative donating warm clothing to those experiencing homelessness.
He has served on boards such as the Community Action Agency, Rockford Area Arts Council, and Rockford Association for Minority Management (RAMM), and participated on advisory groups for Rockford Public Schools and the Rockford Park District Foundation
🏛️ Political Career & Legislative Leadership
Elected to the Illinois House in November 2018 and sworn in on January 9, 2019, Rep. West now serves his fourth term representing Rockford and surrounding communities. In January 2025, he was appointed by House Speaker Chris Welch as Assistant Majority Leader in the 104th General Assembly and concurrently serves as Chair of the House Ethics & Elections Committee.
In addition, he has previously held leadership roles such as Chair of the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission and Vice Chair of the House Mental Health & Addiction Committee .
Current legislative committee assignments include:
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Ethics & Elections (Chair)
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Restorative Justice & Public Safety (Vice Chair)
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Executive; Appropriations – Pensions & Personnel
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Mental Health & Addiction; Housing; Cities & Villages
🎯 Legislative Achievements
Rep. West is committed to closing the skills gap in his district—securing over $8 million in workforce training and youth employment funding for Rockford through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
He has championed public health and equity issues, including efforts to ban discriminatory school mascots. In 2025, he introduced HB3527, the Prohibition of Discriminatory Disability Mascots Act, paired with past legislation limiting Native American and other harmful mascots in Illinois schools.
🏆 Awards & Recognition
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Named one of the 25 Black Leaders to Watch – Young Leader on the Rise by Booker Washington Community Center in 2012
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Recognized with the Council of State Governments’ 20 Under 40 Leadership Award in 2024 for his commitment to public service and community advocacy
🚪 Constituent Engagement & Values
Rep. West’s guiding principle is “creating opportunities everywhere for everyone” in the 67th District. Known for transparency and accountability, his office has handled thousands of constituent cases, hosted regular town halls across Rockford, Loves Park, Cherry Valley, and supports community events addressing critical needs such as housing, food, clothing, and healthcare access.
He chairs his political platform on a 12‑point manifesto inspired by John Wesley—valuing social justice, education, economic equity, and environmental stewardship as ethical imperatives.
👨👩👧 Personal Life
Maurice lives in Rockford with his wife, Leslie, and their daughter, Brein McKenzie. His faith as an ordained minister deeply informs his leadership and public service ethos.
✝️ A Message from Maurice
My mission is to serve as an elected official solely directed by a manifesto that I adopted early in my career. This manifesto is my personal political values. These values are built by my life experiences and beliefs - especially my call to preach the Gospel. This manifesto serves as my playbook to abide by, thus, every move I make, every vote I take, is not for the Party. I make the move or take the vote because it aligns with these 12-points.
I adopted the manifesto of John Wesley, who is the founder of the Methodist Church in the 18th Century. These 12-points are visible in every office that I have.
"Never dream of forcing [people] into the ways of God. Think yourself and let think. Use no constraint in matters of religion. Even those who are the farthest out of the way never compelled to come in by any other means than reason, truth, and love." ~John Wesley
The WEST Political Manifesto of Today
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Reduce the gap between rich people and poor people.
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Help everyone to have a job.
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Help the poorest, including introducing a living wage.
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Offer the best possible education.
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Help everyone to feel they can make a difference.
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Promote tolerance.
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Promote equal treatment for Women.
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Create a society based on values and not profits and consumerism.
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End all forms of slavery.
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Avoid getting into wars.
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Avoid narrow self-interest and promote a world view.
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Care for the environment.
