Nikki Budzinski | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's13th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Rodney Davis (redistricted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicole Jai Budzinski (1977-03-11)March 11, 1977 (age 48) Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
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 theU.S. representative forIllinois's 13th congressional district since 2023, and is a member of theDemocratic Party.[3]
Budzinski worked for most of her career fortrade unions. Just before being elected, Budzinski served as chief of staff to the director of theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) in theBiden administration beginning in 2021.[4][5]
Budzinski was born inPeoria, 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 theUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign[8][9] and interned forU.S. RepresentativeDick Gephardt, U.S. SenatorPaul Simon, andPlanned Parenthood.[10][11]
Budzinski started her career at theLaborers' International Union of North America and theInternational Association of Fire Fighters before spending seven years with theUnited Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) unions.[12] She worked for the UFCW as national political director in Washington, D.C.[13]
During the2018 Illinois gubernatorial election, Budzinski ledJ. B. Pritzker'sexploratory committee and was later asenior advisor to his campaign, focusing on political strategy, messaging and outreach. After Pritzker won, she was namedtransition director.[14]
When Pritzker became governor on January 14, 2019, Budzinski was appointed senior advisor.[15][16] She simultaneously chaired theBroadband 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 withJohn 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 theOffice 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]
On August 24, 2021, Budzinski announced her bid for theDemocratic nomination forIllinois's 13th congressional district. The district had been significantly redrawn to favor Democrats; it now included the core of theMetro East.[18][19] She won the primary in June 2022 against David Palmer[20] and the general election in November against theRepublican nominee, Regan Deering.[21]
Budzinski is a member of the moderateNew Democrat Coalition.[22]
For the119th Congress:[23]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nikki Budzinski | 31,593 | 75.6 | |
| Democratic | David Palmer | 10,216 | 24.4 | |
| Total votes | 41,809 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nikki Budzinski | 141,788 | 56.6 | ||
| Republican | Regan Deering | 108,646 | 43.4 | ||
| Write-in | 16 | 0.0 | |||
| Total votes | 250,450 | 100.0 | |||
| Democraticwin (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nikki Budzinski (incumbent) | 191,339 | 58.1 | |
| Republican | Joshua Loyd | 137,917 | 41.9 | |
| Green | Chibuihe Asonye (write-in) | 244 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 329,500 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
Budzinski, a Peoria-born political consultant
Budzinski, a former Planned Parenthood intern
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 13th congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 302nd | Succeeded by |
