Nikki Budzinski

Nicole Jai Budzinski ( ; pol. /bud͡ʑiɲski/) (born March 11, 1977) 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.

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.

Early life and education Budzinski was born in Peoria, Illinois. Her paternal 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.

Budzinski graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and interned for U.S. Representative Dick Gephardt, U.S. Senator Paul Simon, and Planned Parenthood.

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. She worked for the UFCW as national political director in Washington, D.C.

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.

When Pritzker became governor on January 14, 2019, Budzinski was appointed senior advisor. 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. She worked with John Podesta to advise the National Climate Jobs Resource Center and was Executive Director for Climate Jobs Illinois. She won the primary in June 2022 against David Palmer and the general election in November against the Republican nominee, Regan Deering.

2024

Tenure

Budzinski is a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Developments Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization (Ranking Member)

Caucus memberships Black Maternal Health Caucus Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment Congressional Equality Caucus Future Forum New Democrat Coalition

Electoral history