Where Nikki Budzinski, 13th congressional district candidate, stands on ag, climate, costs

Editor's note: This is part of a series of candidate profiles ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

Winning comfortably in the June primary, Nikki Budzinski is looking for a similar outcome come Nov. 8 when she'll face off against Republican Regan Deering in the Illinois 13th Congressional District race.

The Peoria-born, now Springfield-based Democrat has the chance of flipping the seat currently held by Rep. Rodney Davis, who lost a primary bid in the 15th Illinois Congressional District. The district has been held by a Republican for all of this century, but that could change after the Illinois General Assembly redrew the maps.

This district previously included Taylorville, where Davis resides, and Bloomington, but now spans further south into Metro East and runs tightly around Springfield, Decatur and Champaign.

More:Nikki Budzinski wins Democratic bid for 13th Congressional District, will face Regan Deering

The most recent poll data suggests a close race but many voters remain undecided about who they will support. A poll conducted in late July by RMG Research found 39% of voters would support Budzinski if they had to vote that day, compared to 36% in favor of Deering. Still, 20% of the 400 surveyed likely midterm voters said they were not sure who they would support with another 5% saying they would not vote.

About the candidate

Like her opponent, Budzinski would be a freshman representative if elected but she does come with previous experience in Washington. Starting with internships with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon and Rep. Dick Gephardt, she recently served as chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget within the Biden administration.

Past coverage:Meet Nikki Budzinski, 13th Congressional District candidate for Illinois

From January to July 2021, she worked with the office with a special focus on the American Rescue Plan Act — often a point mentioned in her campaign advertising. After announcing her resignation, Budzinski moved back to Illinois and declared her candidacy that August.

Budzinski worked alongside Gov. JB Pritzker as senior labor advisor prior to her role in the Biden administration. There, she helped get statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and as chair of the broadband advisory council.

The candidate reported an earned income of $29,990 from her employment with the state of Illinois, according to the clerk of the House of Representatives 2022 financial disclosure report. Most of Budzinski's earned income came from consulting services and fees — reporting $150,000 from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center in 2021.

For unearned income, she reported assets worth $699,000 to $2.08 million.

Budzinski is single.

Here are three key issues in the race:

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Supports infrastructure bill to help farmers

Deering recently put out a statement against Budzinski's position on a proposed mileage tax that the Republican said would be "disastrous in our geographically huge, agribusiness-heavy district."

In response to her opponent's claim, Budzinski said she has held meetings with farm bureaus throughout the district. What she has heard is the need for a year-round sale of the E15 gas blend and how the increasing production costs are not keeping up with commodity prices.

"We need to be doing things like making investments in infrastructure," she said during a recent interview. "That's really another big distinction between my Republican opponent. Regan Deering can't say whether or not she'd support the bipartisan infrastructure bill -- that's something that family farmers need."

Favors caps on insulin prices

Budzinski held a forum Oct. 1 at the AFL-CIO building in Springfield, to discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on healthcare expenses. The bill is a start at addressing needed reforms, especially the $35 per month cap on insulin for people with Medicare.

She favors capping the price for all Americans regardless of insurance status.

"There was great progress that was made, for seniors in particular," she said of the IRA. "Unfortunately, Republicans blocked an expansion of that cap on insulin of $35 for private insurers. So, young people don't benefit from that cap."

Climate change is a top issue

Budzinski lists addressing climate change as one of her top issues on her campaign website. She also calls for increased domestic oil production amid high prices at the pump.

Responding to the prices requires "all-of-the-above" action as the transition to cleaner forms of energy is ongoing, she said during the recent forum.

What is the campaign's funding source?

Budzinski has outpaced all candidates in primary campaign fundraising and spending.

According to Federal Election Commission campaign finance data, the Democrat received $2.07 million in contributions and spent $1.04 million on campaign-related expenditures. Budzinski finished the quarter with $1.03 million on hand or 2.5-times the amount of her opponent.

Much of the campaign's contributions came from out-of-state entities, including multiple $5,000 donations from the House Majority PAC and union groups such as the American Postal Workers Union and the United Steelworkers Political Action Fund.

Who's endorsing Budzinski?

Several chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers and Illinois Federation of Teachers are among groups endorsing Budzinski.

As she hopes to join fellow Illinois Democrats in Washington, Budzinski has also secured the support of U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Meet the candidate: Budzinski running for 13th congressional district