Kendall County Times

As the race for Illinois’ 14th Congressional District comes to a close, James “Jim” Marter, the Republican challenger and current Kendall County GOP Chairman, has brought a grassroots campaign to the forefront against Democrat incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood.

With a message focused on border security, economic concerns and a rejection of what he perceives as radical policies, Marter believes he is tapping into a growing frustration among voters in Illinois’ 14th District. 

In the waning days of the campaign Marter expressed his confidence.  

“We've had a great campaign. We've done a ton of outreach marketing. I've been all over the district,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. 

“We feel really good about what we've been able to accomplish as a grassroots, conservative Republican campaign without actually getting much help from any establishment Republicans, RNC, NRCC or Illinois GOP.” 

Marter has undertaken extensive outreach efforts and said his campaign’s message has resonated with disillusioned voters. 

“People are listening,” he said. 

He emphasized that voter sentiment is shifting, largely due to dissatisfaction with Underwood and the Biden administration. 

“With the last four years, the disaster of her and the Biden administration, I think we've got a great message and I think people are fed up with that,” he said. 

Marter aims to unseat Underwood, who has never won the district by more than 54% of the vote.

Marter acknowledges the challenges he faces in a district that has leaned Democratic in past elections, referencing the Cook Report’s rating of the district as D +3.56. 

Newsmax noted a trend in GOP sentiment in the district, indicating that Marter may be poised for an upset as “recent signs show that Republican Jim Marter is gaining.” 

“Recently, several House races considered long shots by national Republican operatives have suddenly been taking off — possibly part of the last-minute momentum Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been getting with surging polls in even blue states,” Newsmax reported.

"We feel really good about the opportunity for outreach...I've got people, dozens and dozens of people throughout the district tell me, 'hey, I voted Democrat last cycle... We're voting for you, we're voting for President Trump,'” Marter said. 

Reflecting on the tight race in 2020, when Underwood won by less than 1.5%, Marter argues that presidential election years tend to bring out more Republican voters. 

“Things tend to tighten up quite a bit (in a presidential year) and a lot of folks that don't vote in any of those other races come out to vote in this race and I think they're going to be with us,” he said.

Marter noted his campaign is also about the personal connections he has made. He recounted an encounter while door-knocking in Ottawa, where he met a first-generation immigrant who expressed concern about border security. 

“The first thing he told me was, you know, stop the invasion and secure the border. And then... he was like, 'by the way, I'm voting for President Trump. And now that I know you're with him, I'm voting for you,'” Marter said. 

Marter believes this concern about border security reflects a broader sentiment among voters. 

“To me, and a lot of people, the number one issue is to stop the invasion, secure the border,” he said.

Economics and safety also dominate voter concerns in the district. 

“I've definitely heard that... a lot of people in some of the communities that are more impacted by crime and economics... Everybody knows that the government is getting lots of benefits... and then you've got people here who are struggling and need a lot of help and they're like, we're not getting anything.” 

This discontent, he suggests, is driving voters toward Republican candidates who promise a different approach.

As he travels through the district, Marter advocates for a more proactive Republican Party. 

“The Republican Party, we need to be out everywhere... we’ve all been out there door knocking... and they're saying they're talking to people that felt like they'd never heard from anyone before,” he said. 

Marter emphasized the importance of the state’s GOP reaching out to voters from all backgrounds. 

“Even someone that looks on the list as a hard Democrat... we should be doing a lot more of that,” he said. 

When it comes to Underwood’s track record, Marter does not hold back, labeling her policies as extreme. 

“It couldn't be more stark. (Underwood) is left of the squad,” he said. “She's as radical a socialist Democrat as you probably can get.”  

He criticized Underwood’s voting record, claiming she aligns closely with President Biden’s agenda. 

“She voted essentially with Biden and Kamala 100% of the time,” Marter said.

Moreover, he believes her focus on abortion rights is a misstep that will not resonate with moderate voters. 

“I think the far left, pro-abortion Democrats, that's great for them,” he said. “But I think the middle folks are probably concerned with the fact that she's leading on that issue.” 

Marter also noted Underwood’s stance on healthcare savings lack credibility. 

“She's made two blatantly bizarre statements,” he said. Martyr said Underwood has made claims that health insurance costs have gone down and the average consumer has saved $2,400."

“I've been asking people... 'Have you saved $2,400 in the last six years?' And nobody is saying they saved any money,” he said. 

Marter said Underwood made another outlandish claim at this year’s Democratic National Convention held in Chicago. 

“She said four out of five Americans are getting their health care for $10 a month,” he said. “Now, we looked up some stats through Forbes and some other things, and they said the average cost, the average American families are average, meaning about 50%. The middle of the curve is about $400 and some odd dollars to $800. A far cry from $10.” 

In a Nov. 3 interview with Matt Boyle on Breitbart News Saturday, Marter asserted that this race represents a critical pickup opportunity for Republicans. 

“It’s a pickup seat opportunity that nobody has on their radar. This is one path to keeping the House,” he told Boyle.  

He pointed to Underwood’s low conservative rating from Conservative Review, which places her at just 2%, contrasting sharply with her more well-known peers in Congress.

Marter, who has been actively campaigning across the district, noted the lack of visibility from Underwood. 

“She kind of hides like Biden in the basement... and she refused to debate me,” he told Boyle. 

He highlighted his efforts to engage voters directly, recalling his recent attempt to debate an empty chair at the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debates in Ottawa. 

“We've been taking our issues on social media, direct mailers... and we feel like we got a great shot,” he told Boyle. 

Illinois' 14th Congressional District includes the following counties Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Putnam and Will. 

Major communities in the district include Princeton, Sycamore, Geneva, Yorkville, Ottawa in LaSalle County,Joliet, Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, DeKalb and Romeoville.