Rep. Keith Farnham
(D-Elgin)
43rd District

District Information
216 Prairie Street, Suite 1
Elgin, IL  60120
(847) 841-7130
(847) 841-7140 (fax)

E-mail: krfarnham@gmail.com

In the News

Bill Sponsorships
Committees
District Profile & Map

*Bill sponsorship and committee information courtesy of the Legislative Information System

Biography

Keith Farnham, who was elected in November 2008, is serving his first term as 43rd District State Representative.  Farnham sought the office because his personal background as a veteran, union painter, business owner, community volunteer, husband and father called him to public service to help make positive changes for Illinois residents.

Nowhere is the need for change more apparent than when it comes to government corruption.  Among Farnham’s top priorities is to enact meaningful ethics reform laws to increase government accountability and transparency, and to prevent the George Ryan-Rod Blagojevich era from ever being repeated.  

A union painter and former business owner, Farnham supports efforts to get our economy back on track, create jobs and ensure opportunities for people that work hard and play by the rules to get ahead. 

As a result of his military service, Farnham feels a strong kinship with the brave men and women currently serving overseas in defense of our country and thinks they deserve excellent treatment, especially those who are injured, when they return home. Farnham has worked with state leaders to improve Illinois veterans’ services and the quality of state veterans’ facilities. He is also a strong supporter of programs that provide monetary assistance and protection for family members who face financial hardship because a loved one is serving overseas.

In the 96th General Assembly, Farnham has been appointed to serve on the Aging, Consumer Protection, Human Services Appropriations, State Government Administration, and Veterans' Affairs committees.

Farnham was born in Greenville, Maine to Gertrude and Clyde Farnham.  The son of a cook and full-time mother and housewife, Keith learned from an early age the benefits of hard work and the importance of family.

In 1964, Farnham felt a calling to serve his county and joined the Navy.  He was assigned for four years as an electronics technician on a guided missile destroyer.  His service took him overseas and throughout the Mediterranean until his return in 1968.

Farnham’s experiences created a strong work ethic and skill set that enabled him to become a union painter in the Elgin area.  After working with local painting companies, he opened his own business in 1986, K&R Christopher.  For 20 years, he led a company that did commercial and industrial painting throughout the U.S. and Caribbean, employing an average of 50 people at times.

For 18 years, Farnham served as a board member of the Chicago Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA), which brought together the Chicago International Union of Painters and Allied Trades with the business community.  Farnham also helped found the Finishing Contractors Association (FCA).  During his time there, he facilitated communications and collaborations between contractors and labor groups.  The FCA recognized his hard work when it presented him with its Distinguished Service Award.

Locally, Farnham has used his skills to help in the effort to revive Elgin’s historic downtown.  Recently, he oversaw renovations of the old Elgin Dairy Company, preserving the building and turning it into the Dairy Home Lofts.  He is a strong advocate for the creative reuse of old buildings in the district. 

Farnham has lived in Elgin for over 32 years.  He married his wife Susan, who is a third generation Elginite, in 1976 and they are the parents of one adult son, Ryan.

The 43rd District, which is split between Cook and Kane counties, includes portions of the towns of Carpentersville, East Dundee and Elgin.

Civic & Business Involvement
•Board of Directors, Chicago Painting and Decorating Contractors Association (15 Years) 
•President, Painting Decorating Contractors Association (2 Years) 
•President, Chicago Industry Advancement Fund (8 Years) 
•Chairman, Chicago Painter’s Welfare Fund
•Founding Board Member, National Finishing Contractors Association (10 Years) 
•Chairman of Government Relations Committee, National Finishing Contractors Association 
•Painting Industry Representative, Association of Specialty Contractors 
•Board of Directors, St. Charles Fine Line Creative Arts Center
•Member, Elgin Choral Union
•Volunteer, Larsen High School Landscaping Task Force

Honors & Awards
•United States Naval Reserves Honorable Discharge 
•2008 Elgin Mayor’s Awards for Preservation of Elgin Homes Dairy Loft
•2007 Elgin Mayor’s Awards for Preservation of 216 Prairie Street (old Adams Auto Parts dealership)

Return to Previous Page