Politician
Robin Kelly
Democrat · Illinois · ran 3 times since 2020, won 3 · incumbent
FEC candidate H2IL02172
Robin Kelly (Democrat) raised $1.9M for the 2024 Illinois 2nd District race, $1.2M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $3K for and $0 against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They won.
Raised, all cycles
$5.3M
2024, 2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
63%
$3.4M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$5K
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$0
Spent attacking them
63% of Robin Kelly's campaign money came from PAC checks, not from people. That is one of the heaviest reliances on organized money in Congress.
Every run
Each election and its result. Campaign receipts cover the whole cycle and can appear in both regular and special contests; they count once in the totals above.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois 2nd District | $1.9M | 64% | $3K / $0 | – | $1.9M | ✓ Won |
| 2022 | Illinois 2nd District | $1.7M | 61% | $2K / $0 | – | $1.7M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | Illinois 2nd District | $1.6M | 65% | $0 / $0 | – | $1.6M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $1.7MUnion $501KTrade group $464KMembership $346KOther $241KSuper PAC $31KLeadership PAC $14KParty $500
- At&T Inc. Employee Federal Political Action Committee (At&T Employee Federal PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$30K
- Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers Political Action FundUnion$20K
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 Political Action CommitteeUnion$13K
- International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Political Action LeagueUnionLobbyist PAC$10K
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action CommitteeMembership$10K
- National Association of Realtors Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
- Charter Communications Inc. Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Gilead Sciences Inc Healthcare Policy PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- American Academy of Family Physicians Political Action Committee (Fammedpac)OtherLobbyist PAC$10K
- American Association for Justice Political Action Committee (Aaj PAC)MembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
- Southern Company Gas Employees PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Illinois Agricultural Association Activator Political Involvement Fund (Fed) 'Activator'/'Illinois Farm Bureau Activator'for $3K
- Police Assistance Foundation PACfor $2K
- Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PACfor $2
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 24 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 6 times (25%). This is a retrospective comparison using covered 2020–2026 runs; some money arrived after the vote. A vote can appear for multiple industries. Unknown coverage is excluded. “With industry” means its stated preferred side, and does not establish causation.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDAA FY2027House · 2026 · 216–212 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $16K | Nay · against |
| Stop Insider Trading ActHouse · 2026 · 232–198 | Reported household trades wanted nay | Unknown coverage | Nay · with industry |
| Faster Labor Contracts ActHouse · 2026 · 230–193 | Labor unions wanted yea | $542K | Yea · with industry |
| Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection ActHouse · 2026 · 216–201 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Year-round E15House · 2026 · 218–203 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yeaOil, gas and coal wanted nay | $271K$44K | Yea · with industryYea · against |
| Farm, Food, and National Security ActHouse · 2026 · 224–200 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yea | $271K | Nay · against |
| Affordable HOMES ActHouse · 2026 · 263–147 | Real estate and construction wanted yea | $34K | Nay · against |
| Protect America's Workforce ActHouse · 2025 · 231–195 | Labor unions wanted yea | $542K | Yea · with industry |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 · 217–209 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $44K | Nay · against |
| NDAA FY2026House · 2025 · 231–196 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $16K | Nay · against |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)House · 2025 · 308–122 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| CLARITY Act (crypto market structure)House · 2025 · 294–134 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 · 218–214 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $44K$100K | Nay · againstNay · against |
| OCC bank merger rule repealHouse · 2025 · 220–207 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $100K | Nay · against |
| California clean cars waiver repealHouse · 2025 · 246–164 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $44K | Nay · against |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealHouse · 2025 · 217–211 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $100K | Nay · against |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealHouse · 2025 · 292–132 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealHouse · 2025 · 220–206 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $44K | Nay · against |
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $4K | Nay · against |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $4K | Nay · against |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $4K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $461K | Nay · against |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $344K | Present / not voting |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $4K | Nay · against |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $25K | Present / not voting |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $25K | Nay · against |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $45K | Yea · against |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 · 220–207 | Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | $8K$230K$34K | Yea · againstYea · againstYea · against |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $230K | Yea · against |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $173K | Yea · with industry |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 5 of 5 key votes (100%)
On 2 votes, industries that gave them $10K+ before the vote wanted the opposite of what most of their constituents wanted. They sided with the funders 0 times and with their constituents 2. Constituent views come from the Cooperative Election Study, a survey of about 60,000 adults a year. A side counts as what constituents wanted only when it leads by more than the margin of error; closer results are shown as split. Party explains most votes, and none of this shows that money changed a vote.
| Vote | Their constituents | Their funders | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 | 54% support ±18IL-02 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $44K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 | 51% support ±18IL-02 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $44K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea$100K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 | 57% support ±18IL-02 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $25K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | Present / not votingDid not vote |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 57% support ±18IL-02 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $25K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 75% support ±12IL-02 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | $230K Pharma and health care wanted nay$34K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 75% support ±12IL-02 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 90% support ±2Illinois (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 90% support ±8IL-02 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $230K Pharma and health care wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 95% support ±2Illinois (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
The revolving door
3 former aides now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Robin Kelly's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A listed former position does not establish contact with that office.
Earl FloodFormer congressional staff
Dep. CoS, LD (Rep. Robin Kelly); Health Pol Adv, Csl (Rep. Terri Sewell); Csl (Rep. Cedric Richmond); Pol Aide (Sen. Claire McCaskill)
Now lobbies for Chevron U.S.A., INC., Meta Platforms, INC., Humana, Elevance Health, INC. and 6 more · via Mehlman Consulting, INC.
E. GarrettFormer congressional staff
Chief of Staff-Rep. Robin Kelly; Policy Dir./Political Advisor to VP Joespeh Biden for 2012 Obama/Biden Campaign; Policy Dir.-Cong. Black Caucus/Rep. Emanuel…
Now lobbies for Charter Communications INC., Bank Of America Corporation, Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America, Verizon Communications INC And Various Subsidiaries and 4 more · via Empire Consulting Group
Zachary OstroFormer congressional staff
Legislative Director, Rep. Robin Kelly
Now lobbies for Verizon Communications INC, Meta Platforms, INC., Visa USA, INC. · via Mindset Advocacy, LLC
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Robin Kelly's 2024 campaign?
- Robin Kelly (Democrat) raised $1.9M for the 2024 Illinois 2nd District race, $1.2M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $3K for and $0 against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Robin Kelly?
- International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Political Action League ($10K), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action Committee ($10K), National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee ($10K), Charter Communications Inc. Political Action Committee ($10K), At&T Inc. Employee Federal Political Action Committee (At&T Employee Federal PAC) ($10K) in 2024.
- Which super PACs spent on Robin Kelly's race?
- Illinois Agricultural Association Activator Political Involvement Fund (Fed) 'Activator'/'Illinois Farm Bureau Activator' ($3K for) in 2024.
- How much has Robin Kelly raised across elections?
- $1.9M in 2024, $1.7M in 2022, $1.6M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.