BURSTRep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced on Tuesday that she’s running for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) seat, making her the latest prominent Illinois Democrat to make a bid.
“I’m Robin Kelly. You could say I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” the House Democrat said in a video posted on X launching her Senate bid.
Kelly painted herself as a politician who has consistently defied the odds, including ousting then 10-year incumbent state Rep. Kitty Watson in 2002 and later winning a crowded Democratic primary for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, which former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), who’s previously received an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.
Kelly also used her video to tout her record, particularly her work on a sit-in in Congress over gun control legislation and her efforts toward extending Medicaid for new mothers.
“But our situation now? This is a whole different moment. That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate,” Kelly said in the video. “To fight for health care that doesn’t bankrupt families. For wages that lift people up. For housing that’s affordable. For neighborhoods safe from gun violence.”
Kelly has represented Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District since 2013, a district that’s a unique mix of urban, suburban and rural.
She’s the latest major Democrat to announce a bid for the Durbin’s seat. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) has also announced a bid for the seat, and she’s received the backing of both Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
Other House Democrats that could very likely join the primary include Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood. Rep. Darrin LaHood (R-Ill.) could make a bid on the GOP side.
Given the political leanings of the state, whoever wins the Democratic primary for Durbin’s seat is seen as the heavy favorite to win in the general election