Illinois state Senator Robert Peters holds the South Side seat once filled by Barack Obama. Born deaf and with a speech impediment to a mother addicted to drugs, he was raised by adoptive parents and graduated from Kansas State University in 2009. He’s Black, Jewish and if he’s elected to Congress next year will be among the country’s most progressive Members. Endorsed by Bernie, he is also the first candidate backed this year by David Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve, he would represent the solid blue district— Trump drew just 29% in 2020 and 33% last year— that Robin Kelly is leaving to run for the U.S. Senate.
Although he’s passed dozens of bills in the legislature— from raising the minimum wage, expanding workplace protections and investing in affordable housing to ensuring abortion rights were protected after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, he’s probably best known for leading the charge to reform Illinois’ broken bail system in Illinois, putting him squarely in opposition to a Trump pet project.
This week Rebecca Crosby and Noel Sims wrote that “Trump is linking this alleged crime spike to bail reform policies, which allow some individuals to be released before trial without monetary bail, depending on the type of crime. The aim is to move away from a system in which wealthy people can await trial in freedom while the poor remain incarcerated. Crime rates are hitting historic lows in many cities across the country, including in cities that have implemented bail reform policies. Moreover, studies have found ’no evidence that bail reform affects crime rates.’”
Thanks to Peters, Chicago, which has seen fewer than 200 homicides in the first six months of 2025 for the first time in more than a decade, is in the first state in the country to reform the cash bail system. He told us more about why he took on this battle:
When I first entered the Illinois Senate in 2019, I came in with the mentality of a community organizer. I had seen first-hand the effects of our broken criminal justice system, and knew we needed people in all levels of government to make our communities safe for everyone. My commitment to creating a system of public safety for all is rooted in my own experience. My late father was a civil rights lawyer, and watching him fight for his clients inspired my belief that we must stand up for each other. It’s what guided my fight to end cash bail in Illinois— a system that punished people for being poor— and help move us toward a system based off of safety rather than wealth.
In 2023, Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail by passing the Pretrial Fairness Act. That victory didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of years of organizing our communities, and it shows us the importance of having elected officials who come from the grassroots. But the fight for public safety for all isn’t over. Reforming our broken bail system was a critical step, but our legal system still criminalizes poverty, and Black and Brown communities are impacted the most.
There are powerful forces that want to take us backward. We've seen fear-mongering campaigns try to roll back reforms, using the same tired narratives that have always been used to justify a broken status quo. In Washington, the stakes are high. Trump and his far right allies are launching unprecedented attacks on our hard-fought wins, from criminal justice reform to climate change to healthcare. But we’re not going to back down. We’ve shown that we can win when we organize, build coalitions, and stay rooted in the needs of working people. We need that same approach in Congress if we’re going to fully invest in all our communities. I’m running for Congress to bring our work to the federal level.
Blue America endorsed him today and we’re asking you to consider contributing to an exceptional candidate who will help move the country forward. You can do that here
