Just before being elected, Budzinski served as chief of staff to the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Biden administration beginning in 2021.

[12] She worked for the UFCW as national political director in Washington, D.C.[13] During the 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election, Budzinski led J.

B. Pritzker's exploratory committee and was later a senior advisor to his campaign, focusing on political strategy, messaging and outreach.

[4] In February 2021, Budzinski, recommended for the post by Podesta, was appointed chief of staff of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

[18][19] She won the primary in June 2022 against David Palmer[20] and the general election in November against the Republican nominee, Regan Deering.