Robert Peters (Illinois)

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Robert Peters
Image of Robert Peters

Candidate, U.S. House Illinois District 2

Illinois State Senate District 13
Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

6

Predecessor

Compensation

Base salary

$89,250/year

Per diem

$166/day

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

March 17, 2026

Appointed

January 6, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

Kansas State University

Personal
Birthplace
Chicago, Ill.
Religion
Jewish
Contact

Robert Peters (Democratic Party) is a member of the Illinois State Senate, representing District 13. He assumed office in 2019. His current term ends on January 10, 2029.

Peters (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 2nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on March 17, 2026.[source]

Biography

Robert Peters was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University. Peters has worked for ICIRR, Chicago Votes, and Reclaim Chicago. He also worked on Daniel K. Biss' Democratic campaign for governor of Illinois. Peters is a dues-paying member of The People's Lobby and United Working Families.[1]

Committee assignments

2025-2026

Peters was assigned to the following committees:

2023-2024

Peters was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Peters was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Peters was assigned to the following committees:


The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2026

See also: Illinois' 2nd Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 2

Ashley Banks is running in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Ashley Banks (Independent)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on March 17, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2

Calvin Coleman, Mike Noack, and Ashley Ramos are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on March 17, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Peters received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

  • U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent)
  • Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (D)
  • Track AIPAC

2024

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters won election in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 13 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters (D)
 
100.0
 
64,018

Total votes: 64,018
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters
 
100.0
 
22,553

Total votes: 22,553
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Peters in this election.

2022

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters won election in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 13 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters (D)
 
100.0
 
48,429

Total votes: 48,429
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters
 
100.0
 
22,180

Total votes: 22,180
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters won election in the general election for Illinois State Senate District 13 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters (D) Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
79,024

Total votes: 79,024
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13

Incumbent Robert Peters defeated Ken Thomas in the Democratic primary for Illinois State Senate District 13 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Peters
Robert Peters Candidate Connection
 
53.3
 
21,646
Image of Ken Thomas
Ken Thomas Candidate Connection
 
46.7
 
18,997

Total votes: 40,643
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Robert Peters has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Robert Peters asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Robert Peters, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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You can ask Robert Peters to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@robertpetersforcongress.com.

Twitter
Email

2024

Robert Peters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Robert Peters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

Robert Peters completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Peters' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born and raised in Hyde Park. A huge part of my organizing has been about sharing my story openly, which grounds me in my work and our movement. I was born deaf to a mother who was addicted to drugs and was adopted by my mom who was a social worker and my dad who was a civil rights attorney.

I struggled deeply in the early years of my life because I was unable to speak or hear. I struggled with my identity, my mother's mental illness, and alcoholism and experienced a great loss with the early deaths of my father and mother who passed away with $300,000 of housing debt. All of these experiences have moved me to want to build a world that takes care of me like my community did when things got tough. I am a fighter, not just for myself, but for all of the people out there who have and will experience the type of oppression and pain that capitalism and racism creates. That is why I am dedicated to the work that we do. This is why I want to continue to represent the 13th District.

  • The last 40 years of crackdowns and cutbacks haven't served our communities or made us any safer. We need to reimagine our approach to public safety and violence prevention, through reinvesting in our neighborhoods, caring our communities and ending the system of mass incarceration of people of color.
  • During my first term in office, I was the chief co-sponsor of 13 bills. All 13 bills passed in both chambers and were signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker.
  • Building a 21st century Illinois .
1. Ending Mass Incarceration and reimagining safety and justice

2. DCFS and foster care system

3. Building a fair state budget
I look up to my dad, Thomas Peters. He was a Civil Rights and Criminal Defense attorney. He often fought for the most vulnerable people. He argued in front of the Supreme Court and passed away in 2011. I was born deaf and developed a speech impediment and it was my father who helped me get through it. He never put life in success and failure but in simply trying and growing.
I will recommend the documentary called the "Edge of Democracy." There is an amazingly moving speech by former Brazil President Lula.
We need elected officials who have the courage to stand up for working people. The courage to risk it all. We need elected officials who look at power not as an individual responsibility but a community responsibility. We need to turn our offices in tools for community organizing and to make our decision making more democratic. We need to be held accountable to the community and be open and accepting of that. We need to be driven by a long term vision that goes beyond us in positions of power and impacts the wider communities around us.
I think the best quality I have is that I am an organizer and relationship builder. That has served me in my first session, as I was able to carry and pass 13 bills.
The core responsibilities is to serve the people of their districts and to make sure to meet people who otherwise don't have the time or access to meet with their elected officials. We need to know that our job isn't to make everyone happy but to live out our values and to organize around those values. We also have to organize in a strategic way that allows us to win the bigger strategic fights in this world. We shouldn't be martyrs or lone wolfs but also shouldn't be extremely pandering to entrenched power.
Winning real safety and justice in the State of Illinois through abolishing cash bail and reinvesting in our communities.
The first big thing I can remember was the 1994 baseball strike. The White Sox (my team) were having an amazing season and looking back on it it is amazing how strong the MLB players union is both inside of sports and within the larger labor union movement.
My first job was serving in the cafeteria at Kansas State University. I quit after my boss used the term "slave runner."
We Got People - Ryan Grim

We Got People is about the history of the people led movements from Jesse Jackson's "Rainbow Coalition" Presidential Campaigns to AOCs Congressional Campaign.
Spiderman because I resonate with the character's story of his loss of family and story of adoption.
San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)-Michael Marshall
Soundtrack: The Last Black Man in San Francisco
I have had so many struggles in my life. Being born deaf to a mother who was addicted to drugs and forced to give me up for adoption was the earliest struggle I faced.
The Senate is a bit of a calmer chamber compared to the House. It is one thing that has stood out to me in my first term and even though we have our fair share of drama, it is still calmer than the House.
I do but in a unique manner, I don't think we simply have to have people who went the traditional route to office. I think we need organizers who have held regular jobs and lived regular lives who see government working for regular, working people. We have too many people that are professionalized in government and it means government doesn't communicate to the most vulnerable amongst us.
We have long term budget challenges combined with a decade plus of austerity that has led to families on the South Side and Central/Southern Illinois moving away from the state. We need to end austerity, fix our budget challenges not on the backs of working people but those who have seen income growth over the last decade, and create an efficient government not just for a few but the many.
The ideal relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches is one with a healthy tension driven by the needs of the people of the state. For example, when we see issues in departments and agencies we should use our powers to check on them and put pressure on the executive to deal with them. The Governor somewhat free from the whims of election cycles can focus on instituting a broader vision that improves the lives of people in the state.
Yes. I am an organizer and will always believe in building relationships, negotiating within those relationships, and being honest and candid with colleagues. I might disagree with a colleague on one issue but I might agree on another. This isn't about building friendships, this is about policy. If you become friends, then thats just an added benefit.
I will speak of two that I am most drawn to, Criminal Law and Human Services. Criminal Law is often a place for lawyers, especially prosecutors. Human Services has a profound impact on DCFS. I want to redefine safety and justice in this world and actually win safety for people after decades of failure. I believe Criminal Law and DCFS are spaces to get this done. My life is tied to these issues from the causes of my birth and adoption to my parents life. I am passionate to win an equitable 21st century Illinois.
I really respect former Senator Daniel Biss. I learned a lot from him working as his Political Director for his run for Governor. We sometimes disagree but there are few people as smart as he is.
I am most interested to continue being an effective state senator. I was appointed to this seat and have to earn it both as a legislator and in an election. I passed 13 bills and yet I feel there is more work to be done. I am interested in taking on more and more systemic legislation that impacts peoples lives. If the people decide they want someone else in this seat, I will go back to being an organizer and fighting for the change we deserve in the world.
I had a constituent come to my office and lobby me about housing. She drove from Florida after years of domestic violence with her kids. She didn't have a place to go but knew she wanted to get as far away from the pain in her life. She drove to Chicago, she slept in shelters where she was assaulted, she slept in Lower Wacker where she was assaulted, and she found Maggie Daley Park to be the safest place to sleep. She now lives in affordable housing in South Shore and I made a promise to her to fight for housing and fight for people who are often ignored and don't have hope in our political system.

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Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Robert Peters campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Illinois District 2Candidacy Declared primary$693,183 $347,495
2024* Illinois State Senate District 13Won general$401,340 $313,131
2022Illinois State Senate District 13Won general$174,996 $102,409
2020Illinois State Senate District 13Won general$557,689 N/A**
Grand total$1,827,208 $763,035
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Illinois

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

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Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Illinois scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019





See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 17, 2020

Political offices
Preceded by
Kwame Raoul (D)
Illinois State Senate District 13
2019-Present
Succeeded by
-


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
Mike Bost (R)
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Democratic Party (16)
Republican Party (3)



Current members of the Illinois State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Don Harmon
Majority Leader:Kimberly Lightford
Minority Leader:John Curran
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Sue Rezin (R)
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
Jil Tracy (R)
District 51
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
Democratic Party (40)
Republican Party (19)