The campaign battle for the seat in the 14th Illinois Congressional District could become one of the most expensive in the U.S. based on the importance of the seat in the balance of power for the U.S. House of Representatives. In the latest election, Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat wrestled away the seat from longtime Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren setting the stage for an all-out Republican attempt to win back the seat in 2020. This district takes in parts of Kane, McHenry, Lake, Will, DeKalb, DuPage, and Kendall Counties.
While the Republicans hope for a strong candidate from a field of seven to represent the Republican Party in the November General Election against Underwood, the Democrats are hoping Underwood can hold onto her hard fought seat. Underwood is unopposed in her primary race. For her, the real battle doesn’t begin until after the primary on March 17.
The experiences and background of the seven conservative Republican candidate field in the 14th District is quite diverse. Dozens of people attending a January forum at McHenry County College, organized by the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, learned just how diverse. McHenry County Clerk and Recorder Joe Tirio directed the forum’s candidates through questions both from the McHenry County Republican Central Committee and the public. The candidates also gave opening and closing statements.
Some of the candidates are trained in business and include the owner of an ice cream/dairy chain of shops, a school of music owner, a former Fighting Irish kicker on the Notre Dame football team and current futures trader, a former advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce for President Trump, and a co-owner of a real estate company. Two of the candidates Jim Oberweis and Sue Rezin are Illinois State Senators. At the candidates’ forum, Oberweis, Rezin, and Anthony Catella, Jerry Evans, Ted Gradel, Catalina Lauf, and James Marter took their places at a long table behind their name placards and awaited their turn for an opening statement at the Republican forum for the 14th Congressional District race.
The forum gave residents of the 14th District a better understanding of where the Republican candidates stand on critical issues and may help voters figure out which of the seven may stand the best chance in a race against Underwood in the November General Election. Among the issues discussed was a question from someone in the public asking about the future of Social Security, specifically “In 2035, the Social Security Trust Funds are projected to be depleted and all beneficiaries will see a 20 percent across the board cut. What is your solution?”
Senator Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove said, “If we want to make Social Security a financially sound system in the future, I believe we need to change those limits now. It may not be a popular thing to do but over a protracted period, those ages must be moved from 67 to 68 to 69. I know that’s not what people want to hear, but I’m saying it straight and true, that is what we need to do. The other alternative is to increase the Social Security tax that you pay out of your income.”
James Marter of Oswego said, “The first thing we have to do is guarantee the payments of those currently on it and those very near it. Social Security needs to be taken out of the federal government and put in a lockbox and it needs to be offered so you can opt out. If we had taken the money that we paid in FICA taxes from the time we were 16 and you put that money in the bank at normal interest or some market/mutual funds, you would be so much better off than you’d ever be when you turn 65 or 67 or if they raise it to 73…we need to privatize that part of it. Social Security needs to be repealed and replaced with a modern system, not this archaic thing that kicks the can down the road and puts the liability on future generations not yet born.”
Ted Gradel of Naperville said, “This goes back to making government more efficient. Finding ways to cut spending is the key. We are growing the economy. We have record low unemployment. We have people coming back into the workforce and providing tax dollars into our system. Making government more efficient, continuing to provide the economy private sector growth opportunities will help shore up our entitlement and future spending.”
Senator Sue Rezin of Morris said, “If you are on Social Security, you rely on a check. You’re not getting very much. We often hear from people on Social Security and their check isn’t going up very much though their expenses continue to go up. We need to make sure that we don’t forget the people that are receiving the Social Security check. It’s important to note that we do not take the paychecks that the elderly, many senior citizens rely on to pay their bills and say we are going to cut those checks.”
Anthony Catella of St. Charles said, “If Alfred Landon had become president in 1937, he would have had Social Security repealed. I knocked on a door and the homeowner said he’d vote for me if I don’t take his Social Security away. I told him I’m not going to do that. We must find ways to reform the system. Perhaps it would be a good idea to raise the retirement age.”
Jerry Evans of Warrenville said, “We can come up with a solution for Social Security but if we don’t deal with fiscal responsibility, it’s not going to continue to work over the long run. We need a complete revamp. We need to allow people to opt out of Social Security and I believe there are a lot of solutions that can be put on the table. Starts with fiscal responsibility and ends with compassion.”
Catalina Lauf of Woodstock said, “Why aren’t we talking about trimming the fat so we can afford Social Security? It will be a burden for my generation. It’s millennials that’ll have to bear the burden. We need to be fiscally responsible and balance the budget. There are so many agencies and departments in Washington D.C. that do nothing. That’s taxpayer money going into the swamp. We need to focus on that and then solve Social Security.”
For Lauf, youth is a key focus of her campaign. She is the youngest at 26 and stressed not only in her door-to-door campaigning, but in the forum that the Republican Party needs fresh faces. Evans will tell district voters that he’s taking a strong stand for our American values. Oberweis and Rezin will point out their service in office. Rezin says she’s the only candidate that won five contentious races against the Chicago machine while Oberweis will say that he’s the only candidate with legislative experience that lives in the district. Marter will say he’s fighting for conservative and pro-family values and working on cutting the size and scope of the government. Gradel points to a vote for him as a vote for freedom, for constitutional rights, and conservative values while Catella hopes we can find greater empathy for each other and become less a society of fear, dread, and hate and more of a society proud to have mutual respect and trust.
The 2020 primary election is March 17 and the general election is November 3. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is running unopposed in the Democratic primary while the Republican primary is a contested race among seven candidates. The winner of the Republican primary will face Underwood in the general election.
Editorial Note: In fairness to both parties, Sun Day will await the debate schedule prior to the general election for the 14th Congressional District and hope to bring to you a report on the issues from Underwood and the winning Republican primary candidate.
