Patrick Sheehan's Profile

Pat was born and raised in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, the son of a Chicago Police Officer and a Chicago Park District employee. Growing up, he played every sport he could get involved in, and eventually gravitated toward focusing on hockey. From an early age, he was self-driven, working as a bag-room attendant at a local country club and at a local restaurant. These experiences instilled in Pat a love for the rewarding experience of a hard day’s work.

Pat attended Brother Rice High School before transferring to Providence Catholic and went on to attend Saint Xavier University in Chicago. While earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Pat worked full time to pay for his education that would allow him to reach his life-long dream of becoming a Police Officer. He graduated in 2005 after meeting his wife Susie, and accepted his first position as a Police Officer in 2006.

Pat has been a member of the Plainfield Police Department for 14 years, where he has served in the Patrol and Traffic divisions. Serving the public each day allows Pat to help solve the problems residents face while keeping them safe. He is proud to stand with the men and women across the state who risk their lives every day, and was appalled by Chicago democrats’ decision to strip powers away from law enforcement officers last year in Springfield.

Like so many of his colleagues, Pat just wants to serve his community without facing unwarranted scrutiny for his profession. Unfortunately, following the signing of legislation that made life harder for law enforcement, many of Pat’s colleagues opted for early retirement, rather than continuing their service. Losing trusted friends and colleagues on the force led Pat to seriously consider his role in standing up for the values he and so many community members believe in.  

Pat’s elected responsibilities began when he stepped forward as a parent to become the President of the Lockport Junior Football & Cheer League, which was struggling financially. To bring forward solutions, Pat worked with local businesses and the Park Board to turn the League around and provide opportunities for kids across the community. Additionally, he applied for and secured $10,000 in grant funding for the program from the Retired NFLPA Chicago Chapter. That experience resulted in Pat being encouraged to run for an open seat on the Lockport Township Park District Board in 2020, where he was elected and continues to serve.

Combining his service in law enforcement with his community leadership, Pat’s consideration of how he could best serve his community lead him to seek opportunities that would put him in a position to make meaningful change. He is running for the State Senate to voice the concerns of parents, teachers, and concerned taxpayers across the 19th Senate District, who for years have seen government cause more issues than it solves. 

Pat and his wife Susie have been married for 14 years, and live in the City of Lockport where they raise their five children who range from ages 8 to 15.