Robin Kelly endorsed by President Obama for congressional seat

Robin Kelly. PHOTO/Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

President Barack Obama on Tuesday endorsed Robin Kelly in the race to replace Jesse Jackson Jr., who resigned from the seat last year amid a federal investigation and later pleaded guilty to misspending hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds.

Kelly announced on Twitter that she was proud to have the endorsement of Obama, who is a longtime friend. “I look forward to working with him in Washington,” Kelly tweeted.

A former state senator, Kelly gained national attention in February when she won the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 2nd District. Gun violence had been an issue in the campaign, and Kelly was the beneficiary of heavy spending by a super PAC headed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a gun-control advocate.

“I share Robin’s passionate advocacy to end gun violence with common-sense solutions because like her, I believe families impacted by gun violence — especially in my home city of Chicago — deserve a vote,” Obama said in a statement reported by the NBC affiliate in Chicago. “I urge you to elect Robin Kelly as your representative in the United States Congress.”

Read more: USA Today