Robyn Gabel, a Democrat and the Illinois House majority leader, is seeking reelection to represent District 18 in the Illinois House of Representatives. She faces Republican Pete Donaghue in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Gabel has held the District 18 seat since 2010, according to Ballotpedia. She became majority leader on Jan. 11, 2023, according to her Wikipedia entry.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Illinois House of Representatives, District 18
- Born: Feb. 7, 1953, in Chicago
- Education: Bachelor's degree in anthropology, Beloit College (1975); master's degree in public health, University of Illinois at Chicago (1979); master's degree in health law, Loyola University Chicago (1997)
Experience and public service
Gabel has served as state representative for District 18 since 2010. She holds the title of majority leader in the Illinois House and chairs the Rules Committee, according to the Illinois General Assembly website. She also co-chairs the Medicaid Working Group and served as assistant Democratic leader.
Before entering the legislature, Gabel worked as a training coordinator at Planned Parenthood from 1979 to 1980 and co-directed the Chicago Women's Health Center from 1980 to 1987, according to Ballotpedia. She then served as executive director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition from 1988 to 2010.
On the issues
The following policy positions are drawn from Gabel's campaign website and responses collected by BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own descriptions of her record and priorities.
Healthcare: Gabel says ensuring access to healthcare has been the core of her professional career. She says she led the expansion of Medicaid coverage for women and children and advocated for support for people with developmental disabilities. She supports guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage to reduce maternal mortality, expanded insurance requirements for mental illness and substance abuse treatment, and protections against mid-policy prescription drug cost changes.
Gun safety: Gabel says she has worked at the forefront of the gun safety movement. She supports a 72-hour waiting period for all firearm sales, limiting assault weapon purchases to adults over 21 and strengthening gun dealership licensing requirements to curb illegal resale.
Criminal justice: Gabel says reforming the criminal justice system, especially for juveniles, is one of her primary missions. She supports ending juvenile detention for children under 13, reinstating parole consideration for people who were 20 or younger when their offense occurred and supporting alternatives to incarceration. She says she also backed the legalization of recreational cannabis, citing the goal of ending disproportionate criminalization of minority communities and expunging past misdemeanor convictions.
Environment: Gabel says she supports moving Illinois to cut carbon from the power sector by 2030 and committing to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. She says she has worked on requiring schools and daycares to test for lead in drinking water and on creating a program to study micro-compounds in drinking water.
Voting rights: Gabel says she has worked to make Illinois a national leader on voting access and expanded rights. She says she is committed to ensuring government operates with efficiency, accountability and public trust.
Endorsements
Gabel has received endorsements from Illinois Planned Parenthood Action, the Illinois Sierra Club, Equality IL, the AFL-CIO, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Personal PAC, Illinois NOW PAC, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 and IUOE Local 150, according to BallotReady.
The race is certified for the ballot.
Candidate policy positions were drawn from Gabel's campaign website and responses collected by BallotReady. Evanston Wire did not interview the candidate for this profile.
