Robin Kelly

Robin Lynne Kelly (born April 30, 1956) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 2nd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as chief of staff for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias until 2010. She was the 2010 Democratic nominee for state treasurer, but lost the general election. Before running for Congress, Kelly served as the Cook County chief administrative officer. After winning the Democratic primary, she won the 2013 special election to succeed Jesse Jackson Jr. in the U.S. House of Representatives. On May 6, 2025, Kelly announced she would be retiring to run for the United States Senate in 2026, being vacated by the retiring incumbent Dick Durbin. She placed third in the primary, losing to Juliana Stratton.