Experienced, battle-tested and worthy. It’s for those reasons that Rep. Robin Kelly has launched her bid for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat, joining Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in what’s expected to be a hotly-contested primary with more expected to jump into the fray.
But Rep. Kelly is not new to this.
From her early days in local government to a crowded congressional race that vaulted her to the U.S. House, she’s staked her career on persistence, policy and showing up for the people she serves.
Now, the Democrat from Illinois’ 2nd District is stepping into the statewide arena.
In a one-on-one interview with The Chicago Defender, Rep. Kelly explains why she believes this moment matters, how her platform will evolve, and what sets her apart from the other candidates.
Tacuma Roeback: Why do you believe this was the right moment for you to run for Senate?
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly: I thought about it before when the last opportunity came up, but then I decided to step back and concentrate on the House. But I’ve been in the House, and I’ve been an effective leader, like I have on every level of government. I’ve worked local, county, state and federal, and I just decided this was a time for me to take my skills, my leadership—things I’ve worked on. It was time to take it to the Senate and serve a bigger population of people.
Roeback: You’ve emphasized being a proven leader who doesn’t back down from tough battles. How will your experience, whether it’s in Congress or the State House, prepare you for this run?
Rep. Kelly: Well, all my runs, whether for state house, when I was a Democratic nominee for treasurer, running for party chair, running for Congress. You know, nothing has been given to me. I’ve had to fight every step of the way, running against a 10-year incumbent, running against a multi, multi-millionaire in the treasurer’s race, the party chair’s race, and then Congress. It was me and about 17 other people. So, I’ve been in the battle before, and I’m very determined. I am a fighter. The same thing for when I’ve worked on legislation in the House of Representatives around maternal mortality and morbidity, around gun violence prevention and other things that I’ve worked on. I have a huge healthcare portfolio and do a lot around healthcare inequities and disparities.
Roeback: You said, “Every day, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and congressional Republicans are targeting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and passing policies that raise costs for Illinois families, small businesses and farmers.” So my question to you is, at this moment, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing Illinoisans right now, and how would you address it in the Senate?
Rep. Kelly: Well, hopefully, we’re addressing some of it now. They are trying to cut $880 billion out of Medicaid. In my district alone, I have 753,000 people, and 300,000 people will be affected in just my district alone. We will go to battle next week about Medicaid cuts, about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) cuts, and about the tariffs.
I have 4,500 farmers in my district, and the tariffs are hurting them. The cuts to USAID (United States Agency for International Development), and if they cut SNAP, because it’s all connected, that will hurt them greatly, too. So that’s why I say, ‘We’re litigating, legislating and communicating.’ I’ve had telephone town hall meetings where [on] one 11,000 people were on [and] another 13,000.
I’ve had face-to-face meetings, town hall meetings in my district and outside of my district to try to give everybody a voice. I want people to know we care about their voice. I will carry their voice to Washington, DC, and, importantly, carry their stories that I can talk about in these hearings.
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 👉 https://t.co/LMijDeBMCi pic.twitter.com/bAH2KYW5Cf
— Robin Kelly, Ph.D. (@RobinLynneKelly) May 6, 2025
Roeback: Can you share or give us a preview of what you think your platform will be? Is it a continuation of the platform that you established and worked from as a Congresswoman, or are you going in a different direction?
Rep. Kelly: No. As I said, I have a huge healthcare portfolio, and we’re battling right now when it comes to Medicaid. I look at gun violence as a public health crisis. They’re cutting funding that was already promised. They’re trying to cut health care. I have a “Food is Medicine” bill. And they’re trying to cut money to people that are on SNAP, which most people are working. They don’t want to project that part of it. I would be interested in going into the Senate and looking at some things around foreign affairs. I work on it now, but not on a committee. I’m in something called House Democracy Partnership (A bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives).
So I’ve met with people like me and work with them all around the world, our Caribbean countries, our Latin American countries, our African countries, European countries. So, I would want to continue that work also because this is really a small planet, and we’re all so connected in so many ways.
Roeback: Obviously, it’s shaping up to be what could be a very crowded primary. What will set you apart from other candidates in the field? We’ve already had Lt. Gov. declare last week, and there’s some talk around some others joining, including Rep. [Lauren] Underwood.
What do you think sets you apart from the other candidates?
Rep. Kelly: I really think my experience. I’ve been an effective leader on every level of government.
As someone said to me about a month ago, ‘Robin Kelly gets stuff done,’ but he didn’t use the word “stuff.” I just really feel like I’m a proven, seasoned, effective leader. I know how to build relationships. I know how to build collaborations, and that’s very, very important in getting things done around here.
I’ve worked across the aisle in a bipartisan way, a bicameral way to get legislation passed that has helped my constituents and people all over the United States.
Roeback: In 2013, you were in a 16-candidate field for the primary for your current seat. What lessons do you carry from that moment and even before with your relationships with [people like] former President Barack Obama? What are some of those lessons from those experiences you carry with you today that will help you in this race?
Rep. Kelly: Don’t leave a stone unturned. Don’t take any region for granted. Be clear about what you want to do and what you have done. I think those are all very, very important. And for me, just to keep my eye on the prize,
Roeback: My last question is a two-parter. When did the wheels begin to turn where you were looking at running for this particular seat? Talk about the gravity of this race, having to replace such a tenured and esteemed senator in Dick Durbin, the number two person in the Senate. Talk about the gravity and the import of seeking that seat.
Rep. Kelly: Well, he has been a very, very, very important person in Illinois, but a very important person in the Senate. As you said, he was number two. I worked with [Sen. Durbin] a lot around my gun violence and my maternal mortality and morbidity legislation. But you know, at some point, everybody’s going to leave, and I’m glad he’s doing it on his own terms.
He’s been a mentor, and we’ve all learned from him. He’s a smart man. So it is serious, but at some point, everybody’s going to leave. Hopefully, there will be someone—not to take his place—no one can take his place. And I always say, I bring my own heels to the party, but someone that can carry on the legacy of honesty, integrity and hard work.
Roeback: Okay, I did have one more question. How long have you been wanting to run for this particular seat, and what would you do differently than Senator Durbin in this role if you were to be elected?
Rep. Kelly: I thought about this seat, but I didn’t know if this was even going to happen. I looked at the Senate a long time ago, but then I decided to step back and stay in the House. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about it, but I started thinking about it more and more and more about what I wanted to do. I decided that I would take a leap of faith— because nothing is guaranteed—and run for the seat.
I know I bring a lot to the table. I have a lot to offer, and I really want to look at unserved and underserved populations. And when I say that, I know people go right to low-income, but I’m talking about that and more because when I look at the South Suburbs where I represent, I live in a middle-income community, and there are upper-middle-income communities. But I still feel in ways, we’re underserved. It took us forever to get a supermarket. I think that people put one broad brush sometimes when it’s a diverse community or a more Black community. We don’t always get the same look that other communities get. So, I want to be a gap closer or a gap-filler to make sure that all communities have the opportunity for services and more opportunity, whether it’s for our young people, adults or whatever the population is.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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