On April 9, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) won a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), who resigned in November 2012. Rep. Kelly was sworn in to the 113th Congress on April 11.
Rep. Kelly’s election brings the number of women serving in the 113th Congress to 101, including 81 women in the House of Representatives (including three Delegates) and 20 women in the Senate. Of the women who serve in the House, 19 are Republicans and 62 are Democrats; four of the women serving in the Senate are Republicans and 16 are Democrats.
Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Kelly served in the Illinois General Assembly from 2003 to 2007. From 2007 to 2010, she served as chief of staff for then-Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Since December 2010, Rep. Kelly has served as the Cook County Chief Administrative Officer. While in Congress, she is expected to focus on gun control and protecting social safety net programs.
Rep. Kelly holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Bradley University, and a PhD from Northern Illinois University.
