Summary
Current Position: US Senator
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2023 US Representative for District 13
Nikki Budzinski (born 1976/1977) is an American politician and labor union leader. In 2021, Budzinski served as the Chief of Staff to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Biden administration.
She is currently the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 13th congressional district.
OnAir Post: Nikki Budzinski
About
Nikki Budzinski has spent her life fighting for workers and working families. She believes in the American Dream and will bring people together to level the playing field and rebuild the middle class so families have a shot to get ahead.
Born in Peoria, Nikki’s parents taught her the importance of family, community, and service to others. From her grandpa, a union painter, she saw how unions built and sustained the middle class. From her grandma, a public school teacher, she learned the value of a good education. Nikki attended the University of Illinois Champaign and was inspired to devote her life to public service after interning for former Congressman Dick Gephardt, former Senator Paul Simon, and Planned Parenthood.
Nikki has spent her entire adult life standing up for working families. After college, Nikki traveled the country fighting to get hardworking people the pay and workplace safety conditions they deserve. She worked for the IAFF Firefighters’ union to help look out for our first responders who put their lives on the line for us every day, making sure they have the equipment, training, and health protections they need. Then she stood with UFCW workers, making sure grocery workers and meatpackers got a fair day’s pay and workplace protections at dangerous processing plants. She also fought to protect workers’ rights to collectively bargain for fair pay, safety protections, and benefits in states trying to attack those rights.
As Governor JB Pritzker’s senior advisor on labor issues, Nikki successfully led the charge to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. By bringing workers, small businesses, and elected officials to the negotiating table Nikki worked to make sure that all working families across Illinois can maintain a decent standard of living. Also in the Governor’s office, Nikki served as the Chair of Broadband Advisory Council that expanded high-speed “broadband” internet across Illinois.
“There was just so much politics around bringing a $15 minimum wage to Illinois. But by bringing people together and staying true to our word and our values, we got it done. Now, every year, low-wage workers, are going to get a dollar more in their paycheck. And by 2025, we’ll get to $15 an hour. This means a tremendous amount to me, and it shows what we can get done when we’re focused on helping working people.
Later, Nikki helped President Biden set up his new administration and deliver much needed relief for working families facing unprecedented challenges from the pandemic. As Chief of Staff for Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, she served in the office that helped implement the American Rescue Plan to help economy recover from pandemic. Nikki also helped get the Made in America Office off the ground, which ensures American companies and manufacturers get first priority in any taxpayer-funded contract.
Nikki has spent her career improving the lives of workers, and she wants to go to Congress to build on that work. She’ll fight for affordable college and job training, affordable child care and an economic recovery that doesn’t leave anyone behind. She’ll help working families get on their feet, get back to work, and get the type of good-paying middle-class jobs that used to be available to communities all over Downstate but are harder and harder to come by every year.
Web
Campaign Site, Twitter, Wikipedia, Instagram
Politics
Source: none
Wikipedia
Nicole Jai Budzinski (/bədˈzɪnski/ bəd-ZIN-skee; pol. /bud͡ʑiɲski/) born March 11, 1977)[1][2] is an American trade unionist and politician. She has served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 13th congressional district since 2023, and is a member of the Democratic Party.[3]
Budzinski worked for most of her career for trade unions. Just before being elected, Budzinski served as chief of staff to the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Biden administration beginning in 2021.[4][5]
Early life and education
Budzinski was born in Peoria, Illinois.[6] Her grandparents were both union members: Leonard Budzinski, her grandfather, as a painter employed by the Peoria School District, and her grandmother as a teacher in the same district.[7]
Budzinski graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign[8][9] and interned for U.S. Representative Dick Gephardt, U.S. Senator Paul Simon, and Planned Parenthood.[10][11]
Early career
Budzinski started her career at the Laborers International Union of North America and the International Association of Fire Fighters before spending seven years with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) unions.[12] She worked for the UFCW as national political director in Washington, D.C.[13]
During the 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election, Budzinski led J. B. Pritzker's exploratory committee and was later a senior advisor to his campaign, focusing on political strategy, messaging and outreach. After Pritzker won, she was named transition director.[14]
When Pritzker became governor on January 14, 2019, Budzinski was appointed senior advisor.[15][16] She simultaneously chaired the Broadband Advisory Council (BAC), a state agency "charged with ... expand[ing] broadband access, adoption, and utilization" in Illinois. Budzinski resigned as senior advisor to the governor in March 2020.[17] She worked with John Podesta to advise the National Climate Jobs Resource Center and was Executive Director for Climate Jobs Illinois.[4]
In February 2021, Budzinski, recommended for the post by Podesta, was appointed chief of staff of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).[4] During her tenure as chief of staff, she helped set up the OMB's Made in America division. On July 16, 2021, Budzinski resigned to return to Illinois, saying she "felt it was a good time to come back [to Illinois] ... after getting things off the ground here".[5]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
On August 24, 2021, Budzinski announced her bid for the Democratic nomination for Illinois's 13th congressional district. The district had been significantly redrawn to favor Democrats; it now included the core of Metro East.[18][19] She won the primary in June 2022 against David Palmer[20] and the general election in November against the Republican nominee, Regan Deering.[21]
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nikki Budzinski (incumbent) | 181,552 | 57.6% | ||
| Republican | Joshua Loyd | 133,871 | 42.4% | ||
| Write-in | 0.2% | ||||
| Total votes | |||||
Tenure
Budzinski is a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.[22]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[23]
Caucus memberships
References
- ^ "Illinois New Members 2023". November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ "Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois, 13th)". December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ "Budzinski and Deering head to November". WAND. June 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
- ^ a b c Kapos, Shia (January 25, 2021). "Teacher Tension Deja Vu — Preckwinkle Fundraising — More Moves to Biden's Team". Politico.
- ^ a b Kapos, Shia (July 19, 2021). "Budzinski Leaving D.C. — Racism in High Places — 'Total' Police Burnout". Politico.
- ^ Enterprises, Brenden Moore Lee (2 November 2022). "Budzinski, Deering face off in Illinois' 13th Congressional District". STLToday. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
Budzinski, a Peoria-born political consultant
- ^ Alpert, Lynn (2021-11-08). "Nikki Budzinski looks to oust Rep. Rodney Davis, has growing union endorsements". The Labor Tribune. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "Democrat Nikki Budzinski wins Illinois 14th Congressional District race". STLPR. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Nikki Budzinski, Democratic candidate for 13th Congressional District in Illinois". Belleville News-Democrat. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Wang, Jackie (27 March 2024). "'Really formative': Rep. Nikki Budzinski on being an intern". Roll Call. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Narag, Ella; Sadovi, Aidan (19 April 2023). "Nikki Budzinski discusses first 100 days in conversation with The DI". The Daily Illini. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
Budzinski, a former Planned Parenthood intern
- ^ "Budzinski Speaks at NABTU Legislative Conference, Helps Launch Bipartisan Building Trades Caucus" (Press release). April 26, 2023.
- ^ "Meet Nikki". Nikki for Congress. Retrieved 2022-03-09. [failed verification]
- ^ Kapos, Shia; Hurst, Adrienne (November 8, 2018). "Pritzker taps big names for transition — Madigan strikes back at Rauner". Politico. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ "Illinois Governor's Staff & Transition Team". ilcapitolgroup.com.
- ^ "Broadband Advisory Council 2020 Legislative Report December 16, 2019" (PDF). State of Illinois.
- ^ "Pritzker insider Nikki Budzinski cashing in as a consultant since leaving state government". Chicago Sun-Times. 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
- ^ Kapos, Shia (August 25, 2021). "It's Budzinski V. Davis, or Is It? — Pritzker's Power Play — Alexander County's Dubious Ranking". Politico. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ Alpert, Lynn (2021-12-27). "Illinois AFL-CIO endorses Nikki Budzinski for Congress". The Labor Tribune. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ "Illinois 13th Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. 2022-06-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Illinois 13th Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. 2022-11-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Leadership | New Democrat Coalition". newdemocratcoalition.house.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "Nikki Budzinski". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
External links
- Representative Nikki Budzinski official U.S. House website
- Nikki Budzinski for Congress campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
