Kendall County Times

Jim Marter, a candidate for the 14th Congressional District and Chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party, has criticized U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) for her abstention on a recent antisemitism resolution. Marter described the vote as "cowardly."

“Rep. Lauren Underwood voted ‘PRESENT’, which is a cowardly vote,” Marter said on Facebook. “The Bill Passed with 311 Votes, including nearly 100 Democrats, but Lauren Underwood will NOT condemn antisemitism! She is beholden to her radical colleagues Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib!”

The resolution, sponsored by Republicans in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the subsequent surge in anti-Jewish hate crimes, passed easily according to The Hill. Underwood was one of several Democrats who withheld support.

Marter had previously voiced concerns about what he saw as silence on the issue of anti-Semitism, urging Underwood to condemn remarks labeling Israel as a "racist state." He reiterated his commitment to condemning anti-Semitism and urged Underwood to break what he perceived as silence on the matter. The Illinois Republican Party also took issue with Underwood's apparent reluctance to denounce Democrats accused of making anti-Semitic remarks. They alleged that her silence encourages anti-Semitic rhetoric and fails to represent the interests of the 14th District, according to an earlier report from Kendall County Times.

In October, Marter accused Underwood of supporting funding for state sponsors of terror like Iran and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) through the Biden Administration while emphasizing his support for Israel. This ongoing conflict between Marter and Underwood underscores divisions and debates surrounding antisemitism and U.S. policy in the Middle East within Illinois politics. At that time, Marter emphasized his support for Israel, contrasting it with what he perceived as Underwood’s failure to represent her district's values and support Middle East allies' interests, as reported by Kendall County Times.

The 14th Congressional District includes Kendall, southern DeKalb County, northern LaSalle County, northeast Putnam County, and parts of Will, Kane and Bureau Counties, according to the map available on GovTrack.