Nikki Budzinski

ON THE ISSUES

• Union and climate leader nationally and in Illinois
• Leading the  just and equitable clean energy transition
• Earned 100% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard

WHY THIS RACE MATTERS

• Served as chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Biden Administration 
• Holding this seat in Illinois will help win a pro-environmental majority in the House, making it easier to pass climate legislation at the federal level

Candidate Background

Representative Nikki Budzinski is running for a second term to represent Illinois' 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She has spent much of her career in Democratic politics and the labor union movement. Budzinski has also led at the intersection of racial justice and equity and climate and union advocacy in her role as executive director at Climate Jobs Illinois. During the first six months of the Biden administration, she served as chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where she helped implement the American Rescue Plan and the President’s Made in America Office. With her help, Illinois recently passed one of the most comprehensive and equitable climate bills in the country, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). In Congress, Budzinski, as a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, and as the co-chair of the Clean Energy Jobs Task Force, is committed to clean energy deployment, specifically  to attract investment in areas with former heavy industry. She created toolkits for Members of Congress to organize local events with environmental and labor groups as well as developers to encourage the use of Project Labor Agreements. She has rejected efforts on the floor of the House to weaken the Inflation Reduction Act. Budzinski is supportive of increased funding for the Grid Deployment Office at DOE and expanding our transmission buildout as rapidly as possible. This includes utilizing smart technology for existing wires and updating our permitting system to get more lines built as quickly as possible. She views fixing the grid as the key to delivering clean energy to consumers, thereby lowering prices for consumers and creating jobs. In Congress, Budzinski will continue to be a climate champion. She has earned a stellar 100% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. Representative Budzinski is endorsed by LCV Action Fund and NRDC Action Fund.