Robin L. Kelly
DemocratU.S. Representative, IL-2| Age | 70 (b. 1956-04-30) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2013-04-09 (~13 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Black/African American |
| Religion | Protestant (nondenominational) |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Counseling from Bradley University; Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University |
| Prior occupation | Social services administrator (Crisis Nursery director, youth shelter associate director, minority student services director at Bradley University); Director of Community Affairs in Matteson, IL (1992–2006) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York |
| Marital status | Widowed — Dr. Nathaniel Horn (married 2003, died August 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Lynwood, Illinois |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2013 |
| Previous offices | Illinois House of Representatives, 38th District (2003–2007) · Chief of Staff to Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (2007–2010) · Cook County Chief Administrative Officer (2011–2013) · Chair, Democratic Party of Illinois (2021–2022) |
| Committees | House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade · Subcommittee on Communications and Technology · Subcommittee on Health |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus · Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls (Co-Chair) · Bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus (Co-Chair) · Digital Health Caucus (Co-Chair) · Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (Vice Chair) · Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions Caucus · House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee (Co-Chair) |
| Leadership | Chair, Democratic Party of Illinois (2021–2022) — first woman and person of color in this role · Co-Chair, House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee · Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls · Co-Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust |
| Ideology | Voted with President Biden 100% in the 117th Congress (FiveThirtyEight); consistent progressive voting record; member of Medicare for All Caucus |
| Signature legislation | Reese's Law (2022) — federal safety standards for button batteries to protect children; signed into law by President Biden · IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act (2020) — security standards for federal government IoT devices; signed into law · Contributions to Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) — gun trafficking and straw purchasing provisions · Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America (2014) — first congressional analysis of gun violence epidemic · Gun Trafficker Detection Act — passed House 226-197 |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Gilead Sciences ($22,500)
Top industries: Health Professionals · Pharmaceuticals / Health Products · Electric Utilities · Hospitals / Nursing Homes
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.