About Robyn

Robyn Gabel is from Evanston and has represented the people of the 18th house district since 2010. During her time in the Illinois House of Representatives, she has earned a reputation as an independent legislative leader who gets results. She was notably a lead negotiator for CEJA (the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act), the recently passed landmark legislation designed to protect our environment.

In 2023, Rep. Gabel was appointed Majority Leader by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. Her priorities include helping to lead the Illinois House of Representatives on a racial equity agenda, ethics reform, expanding affordability and access to quality health care, comprehensive clean energy policy, and increasing safety net funding for our most vulnerable residents.

Robyn serves as the Chair of the Rules committee, Co-Chair of the Medicaid Working Group and is on the Budget Negotiating Team. Nationally, she is a member of the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus of the Council of State Government and served as the Chair from 2020-2022.

Her legislative record has won her recognition from the March of Dimes, ACLU of Illinois, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, Midwest Asian Health Association, the ARC of Illinois, Equal Hope, the Illinois Public Health Association, and the Illinois Environmental Council, among others.

Before joining the legislature, Rep. Gabel was the Executive Director of EverThrive from 1988 to 2010, a non-profit that advocates for increased health care resources for women, children, and families. She has a BA from Beloit College, an MSPH from the University of Illinois Chicago – School of Public Health and an MJ in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago.