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DANVILLE — A local activist and 2022 Central Illinois Business 40 Under 40 Woman of the Year has announced her bid for District 104 state representative, marking her second run for an area political office.

Mary Catherine Roberson is currently working for the office of Rep. Robin Kelly but announced Wednesday that she’ll be starting her own campaign for the 2026 election with a kick-off event Saturday.

“I make a joke of ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride.’ I’m always working for other candidates and other electives … but this was a time for me to step out on my own, under my own name, under my own platforms and really just try to be a voice for the people of Champaign County and Vermilion County,” Roberson told The News-Gazette.

She has experience working in city government in Danville and Champaign, as well as at the federal level, and has an educational background in political science, all of which she said makes her a qualified candidate.

Roberson ran for Vermilion County Clerk in 2018 as the Democratic nominee but lost to incumbent Republican Cathy Jenkins.

The 104th District seat is currently held by state Rep. Brandun Schweizer, a Republican, who defeated Democratic challenger Jarrett Clem to retain the position on Nov. 5, 2024.

Alongside and through her governmental work, Roberson has been an advocate for youth issues and against gun violence.

She said her goal is to bridge the gap between the government and the community it serves with the help of her connections with so many people in the area.

“People want to be heard. They don’t always feel like the people in power are hearing them. They don’t always feels represented,” Roberson said. “I believe that my role as a community member, as a mother, as an organizer, as someone who has addressed these issues even without a title, I believe that I have done a lot of groundwork to build trust in my communities.”

Throughout her campaign, Roberson said she wants to be listening to potential constituents about the issues they care about and want governmental officials to prioritize.

Gun violence and youth development will both continue to be priorities for her. Roberson said she wants to provide tools to empower communities to address those issues themselves.

If she’s elected, she wants to stay involved out in the community, whether that means going to official city events or community block parties.

“It’s important to go where the people are and hear them out, and then they will come find you also,” Roberson said.

Hopefully, people who already come to her with their various concerns and needs will be even more inclined to do so once she has more authority to help them, she said.

“As a woman who was never born with a silver spoon, who has had to really work hard to be where I am professionally, I want to empower and encourage people who come from backgrounds like mine that we can impact policy, we can change our communities,” Roberson said. “We don’t have to come from millionaires. We don’t have to come from rocket scientists. We just need the heart, the passion, and the willingness to do the work.”