Cheri Bustos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cheri Bustos
Co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Rosa DeLauro
Succeeded by	Dan Kildee Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Ben Ray Luján
Succeeded by	Sean Patrick Maloney
Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 Serving with David Cicilline and Hakeem Jeffries
Preceded by	Steve Israel (Chair)
Succeeded by	Matt Cartwright Debbie Dingell Ted Lieu
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 17th district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Bobby Schilling
Succeeded by	Eric Sorensen
Personal details
Born	Cheryl Lea Callahan (1961-10-17) October 17, 1961 (age 63) Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Gerry Bustos
Children	3
Relatives	Joseph R. Callahan (grandfather)
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA) University of Illinois Springfield (MA)

Cheryl Lea Bustos (born October 17, 1961), known as Cheri Bustos, is an American politician and former journalist. She was a member of the Democratic Party. From 2013 to 2023, she served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 17th congressional district.

Bustos was the first woman elected to Congress from her district in northwestern Illinois. Her district included parts of the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Rockford. In 2019, she became the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), a group that helps Democrats get elected to Congress.

Before her time in Congress, Bustos was elected to the East Moline City Council in 2007. In 2012, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. On April 30, 2021, she announced she would not run for reelection and retired from Congress in January 2023. After leaving politics, she began working as a consultant.

Early Life and Family

Cheri Bustos was born in Springfield, Illinois. Her birth name was Cheryl Lea Callahan. Her father, Gene Callahan, worked as a journalist and later in politics for leaders like Governor Samuel Shapiro and Senator Alan Dixon. Her mother, Ann, was a teacher.

Politics was a big part of her family's life. Her grandfather, Joseph R. Callahan, was a farmer and a state lawmaker. Bustos once said, "We had governors over to our house." As a teenager, she even babysat for the children of Dick Durbin, who later became a U.S. Senator.

Bustos graduated from Springfield High School in 1979. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1983. She then received a master's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois Springfield in 1985.

Career Before Congress

After college, Bustos worked as a journalist for 17 years. She started as a police reporter for the Quad-City Times newspaper and later became an editor.

From 2001 to 2011, she moved into the healthcare industry. She worked in communications for two large health systems, Trinity Regional Health Systems and Iowa Health System.

In 2007, Bustos decided to run for office herself. She was elected to the City Council in East Moline. She was reelected in 2011 but resigned later that year to focus on her campaign for the U.S. Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Getting Elected to Congress

In 2012, Bustos ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. She wanted to represent Illinois's 17th district. She won the Democratic primary election and then faced the Republican incumbent, Bobby Schilling.

Bustos won the election with 53% of the vote. She became the first Democrat to represent a large part of Peoria since 1927. She was also only the second Democrat to represent a large part of Rockford since the 1850s.

Serving in Congress

Bustos was reelected four more times in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. In 2016, she won her election by a large margin in a district that also voted for Republican President Donald Trump. This gained her national attention within the Democratic Party.

In 2019, her fellow Democrats chose her to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In this role, she helped the party raise a record amount of money and keep its majority in the House of Representatives during the 2020 elections.

After the 2020 election, Bustos did not seek to lead the DCCC again. Instead, she was appointed to co-chair the House Democratic Steering Committee, an important leadership group.

Committee Work

During her time in Congress, Bustos served on several important committees:

• Committee on Agriculture
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Appropriations (This committee decides how the government spends money.)

Political Views

Bustos was known for working with members of both political parties. A study by Georgetown University ranked her as one of the more bipartisan members of the House of Representatives.

Economy and Jobs

Bustos focused on creating manufacturing jobs in her district. She wanted to connect the cities of Peoria, the Quad Cities, and Rockford into a "manufacturing triangle." She also supported job-training programs at community colleges to help workers learn new skills.

Foreign Policy

In 2015, Bustos supported the nuclear deal with Iran that was negotiated by President Barack Obama's administration. She believed it was an important step for national and global security. She also supported improving trade relations with Cuba and was part of a group of lawmakers who visited the country with President Obama in 2016.

Other Issues

Bustos supported the Affordable Care Act, a major healthcare law. She also supported a woman's right to choose and the DREAM Act, which helps young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Life After Congress

In January 2023, Bustos joined a public affairs and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. as a consultant. She also began co-teaching a course on political campaigns at Monmouth College.

Personal Life

Cheri is married to Gerry Bustos, who is the Sheriff of Rock Island County. They have three sons and two grandchildren.

Electoral history

See also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives