Congresswoman Robin Kelly clear leader in race to succeed Senator Dick Durbin
Congresswoman Robin Kelly announces her candidacy to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Kelly has one of the strongest public service records, introducing legislation to support not only her constituents in the 2nd Congressional District, but is viewed as a more popular candidate over Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who was pushed into the race by issue-plagued Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
By Ray Hanania
Congresswoman Robin Kelly on Tuesday announced she will run as a Democrat for the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and she offers the best record to serve voters in this important position.
Kelly, a popular member of Congress who has initiated numerous bills to support residents not just in her district but statewide, launched her campaign and website at www.RobinForSenate.com on Tuesday.
She announced on Twitter, “Today I announce my run for the US Senate. This moment demands proven leaders with the experience to take on tough battles. I’ve never backed down—not from gun lobbyists, not from MAGA extremists, and not from a fight for what’s right. Join my campaign.”
Kelly is the leading candidate for the Senate because of her strong public record and achievements.
Kelly does not have the encumbrances that plague other candidates, like Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has served mainly as a shadow under controversial Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Despite being a good person, Stratton’s only asset is having access to Pritzker’s wealth. Pritzker bought his way into public office spending a record and obscene $323 million to win both races.
Pritzker plans to do the same to help Straton, whom he is using to boost his own election ambitions. Politicians should not be allowed to buy elections for themselves or for their allies.
Stratton will be blamed by voters for many of the State of Illinois’ problems that Pritzker has failed to address during his term in office. Under Pritzker, Illinois remains one of the worst states when it comes to taxation, lack of services, crime, and the economy.
Kelly, on the other hand, is independent and has the support of voters who recognize her leadership and independence that allows her to be dedicated to them as opposed to other politicians.
Kelly has done more in her 12 years in Congress than any other member of the Illinois House, and if judged on performance, qualification, and determination to fight for the voters, will easily lead the pack in the upcoming election.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to public service as an advocate for Illinois families. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity, community wellness, and public safety across the state, championing numerous initiatives to generate job growth, reduce health disparities, and end gun violence.
Congresswoman Kelly is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (the main policy-writing body of the House) and serves on the Health, Communications and Technology, and Innovation, Data, and Commerce subcommittees. Her Energy and Commerce work is focused on expanding access to healthcare, consumer protection for American families, and economic development.
She is also a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which sets the policy direction of the Democratic Caucus.
A staunch champion of common sense gun reforms and responsible community policing, Representative Kelly is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce and is the author of The 2014 Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America, the first-ever Congressional analysis of the nation’s gun violence epidemic that offers a blueprint for ending the crisis.
Committed to improving the health and wellness of vulnerable communities across the country, the Congresswoman serves as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, and Co-Chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls. She also Co-Chairs the House Democratic Policy Group and House Tech Accountability Caucus.
Prior to her election to Congress, Kelly was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, served as Chief Administrative Officer of Cook County (the second largest county in the United States) and was Chief of Staff to Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias – becoming the first African American woman to serve as Chief of Staff to an elected constitutional statewide officeholder.
The daughter of a small business owner and postal worker, Congresswoman Kelly moved to Illinois to attend Bradley University in Peoria, where she earned her B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in counseling. She later received a Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University. She is also an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho, a historically Black sorority. She lives in the south suburbs of Chicago and has two adult children.
Kelly’s campaign website says it all:
Trusted. Proven. Courageous.
Robin Kelly doesn’t back down — not from gun lobbyists, not from MAGA extremists, and definitely not from a fight for what’s right.
As a working mom, mental health counselor, and relentless advocate for safety and public health, Robin first ran for public office as an outsider, beating a powerful incumbent by connecting with people on the issues that matter most.
When she ran for Congress in 2013, she organized her community around gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre. Robin knew that moments of silence would never be enough, and rallied her community around gun violence in a historic underdog campaign. While others were scared to take on the NRA, Robin stood alongside Illinois families to stand against gun violence.
Now, Robin Kelly is running for the U.S. Senate to make Illinois safe from crime and gun violence, lower costs for families, and tackle health inequities.
We need proven leadership. Not just talk. And that’s exactly what Robin is known for.
For Robin, it’s never been about splashy headlines — it’s about putting her head down and doing the work. She wrote legislation with then-state Senator Barack Obama to hold gun dealers accountable for illegal sales to straw purchasers. She led a sit-in on the House floor to protest inaction on gun violence, and co-sponsored historic legislation protecting victims of domestic violence. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of farmers, seniors, and small businesses in her district. And she passed a law that expanded maternal health care.
Robin learned grit from her parents — her mother, a postal clerk, and her father, who ran the family’s mom-and-pop grocery store. The store had been passed down from Robin’s grandparents after her grandmother — a domestic worker — saved up to buy it. Her family taught her to “keep the faith” and never back down.
Robin put herself through college, raised two kids, and served her community as a mental health counselor and community advocate before being elected to the State House. She also proudly served the people of Illinois as Chief of Staff to State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, where she worked with banks to offer low-interest loans to hardworking Illinoisans and established financial literacy programs across the state.
Robin is not running to make history. She’s running to make a difference.
Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall reporter who has lived in Orland Park since 1986. He writes for many suburban Chicagoland newspapers including The Regional News, and is the Senior US Correspondent for Arab News Newspaper, the leading English Language newspaper in the Middle East. For more information on this and other topics, or to get information on subscribing to his columns and video podcasts below, visit his website at hanania.com. You can Email Ray at rghanania@gmail.com.
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