Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly running for US Senate

CHICAGO (WLS) — Congresswoman Robin Kelly is the latest to throw her hat in the ring for the U.S. senate.

Last month, Sen. Dick Durbin announced he’s retiring and will not seek reelection.

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Kelly has served Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District since 2013, which includes southern Cook, Will and Kankakee counties.

“I do the work; I’m not a show horse. I’m a work horse. I get it done,” Kelly said. “These times are so serious, and whoever wins, and I hope it will be me, needs to hit the ground running because Trump will still be president.”

Prior to Congress, Kelly was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, and served as chief administrative officer of Cook County, establishing herself both in Illinois and D.C. politics.

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Political analyst Laura Washington says Kelly’s announcement was no surprise.

“She has a deep resume, particularly in the legislation. So I understand why she would see this as an attractive step up,” Washington said. “She won her seat because of her advocacy for gun control. That was a big issue then and still is now. So, I expect her to really play that up and talk about her record in that area.”

In addition to gun control, in her campaign video, Congresswoman Kelly says she is running to lower costs for families and expand health care coverage, leaning on her relationships and a little star power.

“My first bill in Springfield took on gun violence co-sponsored by my friend and then-state Sen. Barrack Obama,” Kelly said. “I guess you could say I’ve been an underdog my whole life.”

“Well, I think the Obama card is always a good one to play in Illinois, and she does have a deep relationship with the former president,” Washington said. “She’s also got strong relationships with gun control advocates.”

With a background in state government, Kelly says she wants to represent the whole state again

“Some of the major things I’ve worked on, the senator has been my partner. When it comes to maternal mortality and morbidity, he carried my legislation in the Senate. When it came to Pullman becoming a national park, he actually, and Mark Kirk, were my partners in the Senate,” Kelly said.

Congresswoman Kelly is expected to join a crowded field. But, for right now, she’s only the second official contender.

SEE ALSO: Gov. JB Pritzker endorses Juliana Stratton for Senate

Possible contenders include Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has announced she’s running for the U.S. Senate seat. Gov. JB Pritzker immediately backed Stratton.

For some, the early endorsement by the most powerful politician in Illinois could be seen as a sign to other candidates as to whether to jump into the race.

However, Washington says there are other factors that need to be considered, including fundraising.

“Well, it hasn’t swayed her; she’s got just a million or two in her campaign fund,” Washington said. “It think it’s very far out to just figure out who has the best fundraising ability. Each candidate is going to have their own strengths and weaknesses.”