Springfield, IL – Today, former Congressman Tony Coelho announced his endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. Rep. Coelho served as a representative from California and is best known as the primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Foundation.
Congressman Coelho made the following statement: “I spent my career working for the disability rights community and being a champion for those in Congress that, for too long, didn’t have advocates fighting for them. I’m happy to endorse Nikki because I know she will be a champion for the disability rights community and fight for priorities like protecting people with pre-existing conditions under the ACA, fighting against health discrimination, and supporting important legislation like the American Disabilities Act.”
Nikki Budzinski made the following statement: “I am honored to have the support of former Congressman Tony Coelho. He sponsored and led the fight for the Americans With Disabilities Act and has been a lifelong disability rights champion. This is deeply personal for me. As a member of Congress, I will fight hard to be an ally to the disability rights community.”
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Nikki Budzinski is a labor activist, former Chief of Staff at the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden Administration and Senior Advisor to Governor JB Pritzker. Born in Peoria, Illinois, she’s the granddaughter of a union painter and public-school teachers. Nikki has over ten years’ experience in the labor movement, working for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and International Association of Fire Fighters.
