The 28th Illinois General Assembly was elected in November 1872.

The session began on January 8, 1873, and adjourned on March 31, 1874.

The Illinois Senate as elected in 1872 contained 51 members, one from each state legislative district.

This was the first legislative session following the Illinois Constitution of 1870, which established these districts and stated that Senators were to serve overlapping 4-year terms.

George W. Burns resigned on September 20, 1873, and was replaced by Maurice Kelley.

Republican John Lourie Beveridge was elected president of the Senate, thereby also taking on the role of acting lieutenant governor.

However, Governor Richard J. Oglesby was elected to the United States Senate, ascending on January 23.

This made Beveridge the acting Governor of Illinois.

John Early was named president, and thus lieutenant governor, in his place.

[1] Under the Illinois Constitution of 1870, the state representatives were elected by cumulative voting, with each voter distributing three votes among the available candidates.

The Illinois House of Representatives as elected in 1872 thus contained 153 members, three from each of the state's 51 districts.

Republican Shelby Moore Cullom was elected Speaker of the House.

Cross and Nehemiah Bushnell died before their terms were complete.

Thomas M. Halpin 4.

George E. Washburn 7.

Richard Bishop 8.

Cross, Richard F. Crawford 9.

Jesse S. Hildrup 9.

Isaac Rice 12.

Jacob R. Mulvane 19.

Charles Dunham 22.

Alson H. Streeter 22.

Jacob S. Chambers 23.

Jacob H. Oakwood 32.

William T. Sylvester, Joseph H. Ewing 32.

Shelby Moore Cullom 36.

Nehemiah Bushnell, John Tillson, Albert J. Griffin 37.

Charles D. Hoiles 42.

Ziba S. Swan, Alfred P. Crosby 44.

Bernard Wick, Spencer M. Kase 49.