Betsy Dirksen Londrigan was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she worked as a corps member with Teach For America and as a nonprofit leader in her community. In 2009, a rare illness left her son Jack fighting for his life in a medically-induced coma. Betsy is grateful for the medical team that saved her son and the community that rallied behind their family, and decided to run for Congress in 2018 because she believes that no family should have to suffer to keep their loved ones safe and healthy.

In 2018, Betsy came within less than one percent of the vote of unseating incumbent Republican Rodney Davis. This year, she’s running to finish what she started two years ago. Gun safety is personal for Betsy. As a schoolteacher in an underserved neighborhood, Betsy witnessed the disproportionate impacts of gun violence on her student. As a parent of three children, Betsy wants to make sure that they feel safe in their communities. As someone who comes from a family of gun owners, Betsy knows what responsible gun ownership looks like. Betsy will bring these experiences to Congress as she fights for families and communities across the country.

We are proud to endorse Betsy Dirksen Londrigan for the US House of Representatives in 2020.