CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. — U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly spent an hour fielding questions from a friendly — if frustrated — group of constituents Wednesday night in Chicago’s south suburbs.
Kelly, a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District, said the town hall at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights was the first of many “A Conversation with Robin” events she’s holding after hosting a call last month that drew more than 11,000 people. She’s also planning events outside of the district, particularly in places represented by her Republican colleagues who are avoiding public gatherings as discontent with the Trump administration grows.
Even before the first question, Kelly assured the crowd that Democrats in Congress are doing what they can to resist — but can’t go it alone.
“We are fighting,” she said, noting pending litigation and open protests. “We need your voices also.”
What elected officials and everyday people can do was an ongoing theme, as moderator Jeff Cohn read questions from audience members concerned about cuts to Medicaid, threats to Social Security, the dismantling of the Department of Education, attacks on federal workers and veterans, detainment of undocumented people and citizens and moves against DEI and the LGBTQ+ community.
Kelly’s response was often the same: Call, write and keep up the pressure on elected officials and the White House. She also noted that progress is being made in the courts as more executive orders, firings and agency shutdowns are being overturned.
“Thank god for the judges and the Democratic attorney generals like [Illinois Attorney General] Kwame Raoul,” she said. “We’re winning in the courts.”
She applauded the work of the legal services nonprofit Democracy Forward for preparing legal challenges to Project 2025 even before the November election.
In response to a question about what the Democrats are doing to ensure the Constitution’s checks and balances are maintained, she quipped, “We can’t arrest the president. We can hold the agency heads accountable.”
As Democratic officials look to the midterm elections to win back control of the House, she and others are working in the meantime to sway their Republican colleagues to stand up: “We need three brave Republicans to side with us.”
Privately, she said, some Republican congresspeople will acknowledge that the administration is overstepping its authority, but they won’t go public.
“They are afraid, that is the bottom line. They’re afraid of physical harm,” she said, noting that one of her colleagues has a police car parked in front of their child’s school for protection.
The 2nd District, which runs from the South Side of Chicago to Danville along the state line and west to Pontiac, is the biggest Democratic district in the state, Kelly said. She is one of seven women representing Illinois in the 119th Congress. She was first elected in 2013 after serving as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, chief administrative officer of Cook County and Chief of Staff to Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.
Cohn acknowledged that Wednesday’s crowd of several dozen people was smaller than expected — RSVPs had been required — likely because of bad weather that included a tornado warning that expired an hour before the event.
Constituents from farmers to federal workers are fearful about their livelihoods and futures, she said. She said she’s hopeful more voters, including Trump supporters with “buyers remorse,” will start to protest.
“Maybe people haven’t felt it yet. He promised to lower your costs, he’s raising your costs,” she said. “As it hurts more people, people will rise up.”
To find your elected officials, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections.
