Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is the Democratic candidate for the 13th district of Illinois. She is running against the incumbent Republican Representative Rodney Davis. While Davis has held the seat since 2013, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue program has recognized Londrigan’s potential to flip this Republican district blue. Londrigan is self-employed entrepreneur, non-profit leader, and active member of her community. She has decided to run for public office to represent her community and ensure affordable health care for its residents — an issue that is deeply personal for her.
Background and Achievements
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s connection to the 13th district goes all the way back to her great-grandparents who immigrated to Central Illinois. Londrigan was born and raised in Springfield, IL where she currently lives with her husband and three boys. After graduating from Springfield High School, she went on to receive her BA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Londrigan worked as a Corps Member for Teach for America in Baltimore, MD before returning to Springfield to start and direct the alumni association for the University of Illinois-Springfield. In addition to her time as a self-employed entrepreneur, Londrigan has worked for Senator Dick Durbin and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. Londrigan also co-founded the non-profit Women Rising to recruit and support female candidates in the Democratic Party.
In 2009, Londrigan’s 12-year old son Jack spent close to a month in the hospital after being admitted to the pediatric ICU with a rare, life-threating illness from a tick bite. Londrigan and her family relied on insurance to help cover the costly medical bills. Since then, Londrigan has spent much of her time fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network and St. John’s Children’s Hospital to support other families with sick children. After watching Trump and the Republican Party attempt to repeal the ACA — including her district’s current Representative, Rodney Davis –, Londrigan decided to run for Congress to ensure people’s access to affordable health care.
Positions on Key Issues
- Strongly supports the ACA and Essential Health Benefits;
- Protects women’s rights to their healthcare decisions and believes that women’s reproductive health does not justify additional costs;
- Advocates for equal pay for equal work;
- Supports DACA and the DREAMers program;
- Advocates for the protection of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid;
- Advocates for gun violence to be viewed and studied as a public health issue by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
- Supports universal background checks for gun owners, including private sales.
Prospects & Opponents
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is running against the incumbent Representative Rodney Davis. Davis identifies as anti-choice, opposes extending DACA legislation without building a border wall, and votes in line with Trump’s position 95.7% of the time. Since taking office in 2013, Davis has voted in favor of repealing the ACA, banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and penalizing states and localities that have sanctuary laws on immigration. The 13th district of Illinois has been red since 1895. If Londrigan wins this year’s election, she will be the first ever democratic woman to represent the district.
Endorsements
- Feminist Majority
- EMILY’s List
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
- US Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois
- Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois’ 9th district