Kendall County Times

Just months after a hard-fought loss in the 2024 general election, Oswego trustee and longtime Kendall County GOP chair Jim Marter announced he would once again be mounting a campaign to challenge U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. 

Marter filed for the 2026 race on Dec. 3, 2024, and says he’s been steadily building momentum since then. 

"I absolutely think we can win it or I wouldn't be doing it again,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. “I had a lot of outreach after November 5th last year. On November 5, I was not, obviously, happy at all with the results, but as we reflected on it, I had people reaching out to me—calling me, messaging me, speaking to me—and asking if I was running again.” 

Meanwhile, Underwood has expressed interest in higher office, hinting at a potential run for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). However, her ambitions have sparked fierce opposition from Democrats, with political insiders connected to Gov. JB Pritzker labeling her “damaged goods.”

Marter, who secured 44.9% of the vote to Underwood’s 55.1% in 2024, said his grassroots, low-budget campaign stood up remarkably well against Underwood’s well-funded operation.

“We felt we did well from a marketing perspective with a very limited budget—about three $326,000 total—but we spent it very effectively,” he said. “We got five to ten million impressions from various sources. We did that mostly in the last 60 to 70 days. We were outspent 15 to one—three to four million dollars. I'm sure Congresswoman Underwood's campaign got 50 million to 100 million impressions, and we still came that close.” 

Marter said his campaign performed strongly in LaSalle County, secured a win in Putnam County, came close in Kendall, and was competitive in Bureau County, but acknowledged there is work to be done in Will, Kane and McHenry counties.

In recent memory the 14th District was a Republican held district. 

In 2018, Underwood unseated Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren with 52.5% of the vote in 14th Congressional District. She narrowly won re-election in 2020, defeating Republican Jim Oberweis by just over 5,000 votes, earning 50.7% to his 49.3%. 

Underwood’s back-to-back victories flipped and then defended a district that had long been held by Republicans.

Marter lamented the lack of national and state GOP support for his campaign in 2024 and noted that he hopes that changes.

“The RNC (Republican National Committee), the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) and the Illinois GOP did little to help Republican congressional nominees in the 14 districts with Democratic opponents,” he said. “The 14th is one of the top districts that can be won and flipped with enough help and resources.”

Marter said based on his 2024 performance and the rising support nationwide for President Donald Trump he feels he can flip the district back to the GOP. 

“I had enough voters in 2024 to win in an off year,” he said. “That’s clearly the number one strategy: making sure we’re reaching out to those voters, communicating with them, and getting them out to vote. That’s a straightforward winning strategy. I know where I didn’t do well, and we’re going to focus more on the precincts and counties where we need to do more work.” 

In 2024, Marter accused Underwood of avoiding debates and refusing to face him publicly following the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled congressional forum in Illinois’ 14th District. He claimed Underwood conspired with the League of Women Voters to cancel the in-person event, saying she was “afraid to debate in person.” 

Emphasizing border security, economic concerns and opposition to what he deems Underwood's “radical socialist” policies, Marter framed the 2024 election as a referendum on both Underwood and the Biden administration.

He emphasized his alignment with President Donald Trump and the GOP’s broader legislative goals.

Marter was the top vote-getting Trump delegate in 14th District during the 2024 primary and says his America First platform is unchanged heading into 2026.

“President Trump was sworn in, and things got started here in ’25. Looking forward to that, I think people are going to see changes that they like,” he said. “That’s what I represent. Congresswoman Underwood represents the (Democrat) party.” 

He highlighted what he sees as a misleading narrative pushed by Democrats and Underwood. 

Citing a disconnect with the average voter, Marter expressed confidence in growing support for the Republican Party in the upcoming election cycle.

“They don’t want to stop taxing us,” Marter said. “They call anything eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse a cut, saying it’s going to kill people and children are going to starve. She’s basically saying we’re going to kill people and children are going to starve." 

“It’s nonsense. I think people are tired of it. I think we’re going to see a lot of folks come to the Republican Party, to me as a candidate, and others in the Illinois Republican Party in 2026.”

Marter said he's confident in picking up support from crossover voters.

"I think there are some people that are conservative who vote Democrat more or less for historical reasons, family line reasons, or because they're union workers and that's what they've been told to do,” he said. “I see the potential to pick up people from that persuasion. Both of my grandfathers were Democrats, and they were both more conservative in all kinds of respects than what we call conservative today."

Marter is particularly vocal about illegal immigration. 

“When you look at this in the bigger picture of what’s been going on with illegal immigration, it’s literally and figuratively human trafficking,” he said. “Many of the people are still trafficked once they get here because they’re not legal and can’t do everything legally. So, they become pawns of the human trafficking system.” 

Marter emphasized his frustration, arguing that such issues supported by Democrats should transcend traditional political divisions.

"You've got Congresswoman Underwood and JB Pritzker standing with gang-bangers, terrorists, human traffickers who have committed horrific crimes, and/or people they brought in who have committed horrific crimes,” he said. “It's a head-scratcher. I'm not sure why this is a Republican or Democrat issue. It really shouldn't be."

Marter also railed against cultural issues, such as biological males competing in women’s sports and the teaching of sexual content in schools.

“Other things, simple things to me, keep men out of women's sports,” Marter said. “Again, I'm not sure why that's the Democrat-Republican thing. You’d think Underwood, who's a woman, would want to stand with women on this. It's crazy, but there you go. Simple issues like that, right? And then, to me, the other thing is the pushing of sexuality in schools.”

Building on the urgency to regain control, Marter emphasized the strategic importance of the 14th District in the upcoming election.

“The Republicans need more help in Washington because we have a razor-thin majority, and Illinois' 14th is a critical pickup opportunity,” he said. “We’ve got the team, great support in all seven counties, and we’re going to make an even harder run in 2026 to bring it back to the Republican Party. It was a longtime Republican district, and it’s time to turn it back and flip it.” 

With State Rep. Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) opting not to run after initially forming an exploratory committee, Marter remains the only Republican candidate in the primary scheduled for March 17, 2026.

The 14th Congressional District of Illinois comprises the areas of Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood, Crystal Lawns, Sunnyland, Crest Hill, Rockdale, Fairmont, Ridgewood, Ingalls Park and Preston Heights. Additionally, it covers the majority of Romeoville, sections of southwestern Naperville, western Bolingbrook, western Lemont, eastern Elwood and roughly half of Lockport.