Robin Kelly

Robin Lynne Kelly, a member of the Democratic Party, has served as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 2nd Congressional District since April 2013. Born in New York City, she moved to Illinois for her higher education, earning a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in counseling from Bradley University, followed by a Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University. Her career in public service began at the local level in Matteson, Illinois, before she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where she served from 2003 to 2007. Prior to entering Congress, she also served as the chief of staff for the Illinois State Treasurer and as the chief administrative officer for Cook County. In Congress, Kelly is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and has held leadership roles such as Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. She is widely recognized for her work on gun violence prevention, having authored the "Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America" and co-chaired the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce. In 2021, she made history as the first woman and first African American to be elected Chair of the Illinois Democratic Party. In 2025, she announced her retirement from the House to pursue a seat in the U.S. Senate, though she was unsuccessful in the 2026 Democratic primary.

Representative Kelly focuses her policy agenda on gun control, healthcare equity, and economic justice. A staunch advocate for gun reform, she supports universal background checks and federal red flag laws. In healthcare, she chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and advocates for legislation to reduce maternal mortality and eliminate racial health disparities. Her economic platform, often titled "People Over Profits," includes support for taxing individuals with a net worth over $100 million, raising the federal minimum wage, and implementing federal bans on rent gouging. Kelly also supports the Social Security 2100 Act to ensure the program's long-term solvency. On environmental issues, she has championed clean energy investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Regarding foreign policy, she has publicly called for a bilateral ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and emphasizes the importance of global health funding and democratic principles in trade.