Collection of Articles of Republican Candidates
Petition filing is over.
Not that it mattered since all candidates for Congress in the 6th and 14th districts filed their petitions on Monday morning, the 25th of November.
Both Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and Congressman Sean Casten filed in their uncontested primaries. The two 6th district Republican candidates filed their petitions, too.
Seven Republican candidates in the 14th filed their petitions, too.
This article will focus on the 14th because of the seven candidates.
Below are links to the articles about the Republican candidates, both their features and relevant articles that have been published since the initial publication.
The 7 candidates’ information is presented in alphabetical order. Clicking a candidate’s name is a link to the candidate’s campaign website for information.
The links underneath a candidate’s name are for articles about the candidate that were published on McHenry County Blog, or other media sources.
It is hoped this information proves helpful for blog readers to have all of the 14th district Republican candidates in one place.
In the November 24 print edition of the Daily Herald reporter James Fuller gave a terrific overview of the 14th district race. All eight announced candidates are listed with a 4-point platform. The bulk of the information below is from that article.
- Age: 49
- Hometown: St. Charles
- An army veteran and former Catholic priest, he has raised $589 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- “The humble use of power.”
- Supports term limits
- Bipartisanship
- “Order with justice under law.”
.
- 30-something
- Warrenville
- The owner of the Jerry Evans School of Music, he has no publicly reported campaign contributions [since entering the race on 10/21/19 & next FEC reports due 1/15/20].
Platform:
- Supports term limits and congressional ethics reform
- Believes life begins at conception
- Supports Trump’s border wall plans and reforms of the asylum system
- Has a seven-point plan to combat human trafficking, the first detailed policy position of any of the candidates
- 55
- Naperville
- A former Notre Dame collegiate football player, the youth sports coach, futures trader and hedge fund investor has raised $569,000 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- Supports term limits
- Supports making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent
- Wants to shrink federal debt
- Sees the fight against ISIS as “a blueprint for precise, limited action in cases where it is absolutely necessary”
McHenry County Blog and other external:
- Ted Gradel Vision for All Americans to Keep More of Their Money
- Testimony Before FDA Panel 2016
- Part 1: Strengths
- Part 2: Opportunities
- Chicago Tribune Write-up on Boxing at Notre Dame
- Ted Gradel on Veterans Care
- Ted Gradel Pro-Life
- Ted Gradel’s Pro-Life Message Censored by Twitter
- 26
- Woodstock
- Gained traction in conservative media circles as the anti-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Former Uber employee appointed by President Donald Trump to be an adviser at the U.S. Department of Commerce, she has raised $104,000 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- Supports “securing the border”
- Opposes the Violence Against Women Act, saying the Second Amendment is the most powerful protection women have
- Opposes feminism and believes there is no widespread wage gap between men and women
- Opposes the Green New Deal
McHenry County Blog and other external links:
- Why Lauf’s Message Resonates Across the Country
- Part 1: Stengths
- Part 2a: Opportunities
- Part 2b: Opportunities
- Patch in-depth article by Pulitizer Prize winning reporter Mark Konkol
- Elevate PAC’s Women to Watch List
- 56
- Oswego
- The former Kendall County Republican Party chairman, who has had two previous unsuccessful runs for federal office, has raised $34,000 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- Supports a ban on lobbying by former members of Congress
- Opposes all federal funding of Planned Parenthood
- Supports Trump’s border wall plan, reducing family-based visa and ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants
- Supports tax cuts and paying down the national debt
- 73
- Sugar Grove
- The dairy magnate and current member of the Illinois State Senate, who had unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Senate in 2002, 2004 and 2014, governor in 2006 and the 14th Congressional District in 2008 [twice], has raised $746,000 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- Supports strengthening security at the southern border
- Supports spending reductions and the elimination of “redundant government programs”
- Support term limits and independent redistricting to prevent gerrymandering
- Believes government should have a limited role in health care
McHenry County Blog & other references
- Strengths & Electability
- Electability
- Analytics and Endorsements
- First Mailer
- Endorsed by Lake County Republican Party Executive Committee on 11/2
- Endorsed by Lake County Life PAC on 11/13
- 56
- Morris
- A current member of the Illinois State Senate and co-owner of a family real estate company, she has raised $246,000 in campaign contributions.
Platform:
- Supports lowering the cost of prescription drugs
- Opposes ending private health insurance
- Supports additional security at the southern border
- Supports Trump’s plans for national infrastructure improvements
McHenry County Blog and other external links:
Lauf: Our very own yarn-spinner.
I’m a former 2018 #WriteInCandidate from Illinois Congressional District 3, #IL03 who received over 1000 “Write In Votes,” accepting NO Money as a “Write In Candidate,” on principle.
I was the Strongest Candidate in #IL03 In 2020,
What wins elections?
Unfortunately, money helps, however, ultimately principles win, but only when you have an informed and involved electorate, and a political party that supports the winner of their primary, as long as the winner of the political party, is not a Nazi Sympathizer.
The former leader of the American Nazi Party, won the Republican Party Primary In #IL03, so I stood
up against him.
Why do I mention this🤔
1. Money may help one get elected; however, Principles determines one’s electability.
In my opinion, James Marter checks off the box here on electability.
Jim Oberweis wins on being the most financially able to self-fund should he win, and fund the winner, as he mentioned or implied that he would, if he did not win.
Win-Win for James Marter.
2. Please view the entire debate, we need an informed electorate.
3. Share your perspective here by responding in the comment section.
We need a respectful exchange of ideas as to who won the debate and why.
Thank You!
I just finished listening to a two hour debate between all of these Republican Candidates, any of whom should be able, with the help of the Illinois Republican Party should be able to beat Radical, Left Socialist and Radical Left Secularist, Lauren Underwood.
I felt James Marter won the debate based on the fact that his answers to questions were deep rooted
in sincerity, and strong and passionate support of thenPolicies of Our President, President Trump🇺🇸
Jim Marter🇺🇸 is a Fighter for Our Freedoms.
Thank You #IL14 Voters