Lauren Underwood (far left) with AOC (center) and IL 9ths Jan Schakowsky (right)
AURORA – Illinois' 14th CD – represented last session by conservative GOP US Congressman Randy Hultgren – was a part of Illinois' powerful 2018 "Blue Tsunami" that led to Democrats regaining the majority and making Nancy Pelosi the US House Speaker. Along with Pelosi becoming House Speaker, a group of radical Leftist Democrat freshmen were sworn into office, grabbing the DC media spotlight and stunning Democrats and Republicans alike.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) is leading the new group of outspoken, controversial federal lawmakers. They include On March 30, 2019, AOC publicly endorsed 14th CD new Congress member Lauren Underwood as 'one of the "straightest shooters" in the freshman class. AOC encouraged like-minded folks to donate to Underwood's re-election campaign:
Underwood represents a district that President Trump won by four points – one that both Democrats and Republicans are hopeful to win in 2020. District politicos are saying the 14th CD will be one of the top three most contested districts in 2020 – when President Trump will be at the top of the ballot.
AOC's raves about Underwood came in the midst of a dispute that same day between AOC and the Democrat Congressional Caucus Committee over primary challenges:
And Lauren Underwood was one of the subsequent Democrat candidates AOC deemed as "Some great ones:"
Underwood, however, publicly stays out of the controversies AOC thrives on – and stays quiet on the most prickly topics. Instead, emphasizes that she's focused on digging for relief for her district's constituents' tax burden – especially property taxes that exceed the federal exemption level.
"I’m home every weekend and have the opportunity to talk to folks about health care and lower prescription drug costs. And so, quite candidly, this ends up as a Washington conversation," Underwood told The New York Times "and not a conversation we have in the Illinois 14th."
But Underwood lines up with AOC on every topic we've seen thus far. Here's just a few:
An outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights:
An endorsement from the national abortion rights org:
Equal Rights Amendment supporter
And opponent to US sovereignty:
Underwood lines up with AOC and her Leftist girl-buds. Is this the views the IL 14th CD wants representing them in the US House?
Shutter!!! That top picture features four of the homliest women in America. Does the Democrat Party have any attractive women?
If Jim Marter, Allen Skillicorn, Danny Malouf or Anthony Catella are serious about running for Congress next year for the 14th district, they better start letting people in Washington know.
Both State Senators Jim Oberweis AND Sue Rezin met with “honchos” from the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, last week concerning the 14th district, per Lynn Sweet’s column from Sunday:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/lauren-underwood-visits-border-republicans-lining-challenge-freshman-democrat
The 6th district race is mentioned briefly, too.
The same article also tells of Congresswoman Underwood’s first congressional trip in her role as Vice Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee to the U.S.-Mexico border cities of El Paso and the McAllen area (McAllen isn’t on-the-border, but close enough to it).
While Oberweis announced his candidacy in February, Rezin appears to be biding her time and thus far has said nothing about a congressional campaign on her social media sites.
Neither Skillicorn nor Catella are mentioned in this article.
Find a good candidate. You’re going to need it. It aint Malouf, Skillicorn, Oberweis, Marter, or Catella. The mainstream media will cover for Lauren, the new radical types are going to go in big for her, and the DCCC is going to go in big. She outraised Randy like 2-1 and he already had connections in Washington! Make sure to not beat each other up too badly in the primary. And even if you do all things right, you still have to worry about a few tens of thousands of ballots going missing in the most conservative county in the district… It’s not looking good.
Insulting the intelligence of voters into thinking that Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is a radical progressive, and thinking she is Nancy Pelosi, Ilhan Omar or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is something her voting record will need to be judged. Lauren Underwood is Lauren Underwood, and she is the woman the Republican nominee in the 14th district
next year needs to convince 14th district general election voters why she needs to be replaced. Voters are not stupid, so anyone cannot be playing them for stupid with articles like this. And yes, the Democrats will tie the Republican nominee to President Trump. Linking Underwood to her record
is the key.
That is what I liked about Matt Quigley–he took the voters seriously. Where Quigley disagreed with Underwood’s developing voting record, he disagreed. But he avoided the insulting language that Jim Oberweis, Jim Marter and Allen Skillicorn have resorted to–language like this article attempts to convey. Again, voters are not stupid.
Concerning AOC, I have not ever seen a 29 year old rile up so many people as she does, and she IS a far left winger. But one cannot help but admire her for coming out of nowhere and successfully primarying AND beating a long-term Democratic Congressman like Joe Crowley last year. That’s something very few have done like Beto O’Rourke in 2012 over Silvestre Reyes and Dave Brat over Eric Cantor in 2014 (and sad to see Brat lose last year). How rare was AOC’s feat–Barack Obama failed to do the same thing in 2000.
But at least AOC’s consistent, and remembers where she came from–while her agenda is clearly an America I don’t want to be a part of, at least she shows she will fight the powers-that-be, even within the Democratic Party, even the DCCC. Whether she will win another term in New York’s 14th district remains to be seen.
Let’s not be too quick to think Congresswoman Underwood will be a one-termer. After 1994, most of us thought President Clinton would be a one-termer, and he wasn’t. Same for President Obama after 2010, and it took three tries to unseat Melissa Bean in a Republican-leaning 8th district (at that time). Underwood is battle-tested, focused on her district including holding town hall meetings, and is an incredibly disciplined campaigner.
And given the response by Congresswoman Underwood to the Aurora shootings back in February, and her hands-on compassion for the victims of the shooting, four of whom lived in her district, do not be surprised come October of 2020 that the survivors of those victims’ families cut Re-elect Lauren Underwood commercials giving their testimonies how Underwood was not distracted by politics and cared for the victims and their families, and pushing for sensible, enforceable gun laws to prevent tragedies like Aurora 2019 from happening again. That is a sample of what’s coming for the Republicans to win back the 14th.
So among the announced and prospective Republican candidates, who has the best chance to defeat Congresswoman Underwood?
Jim Oberweis, too unelectable and too old (74 in fall 2020) though he could buy the primary.
Matt Quigley, was the best hope, but is now out of it.
Danny Malouf, the Dead-head, heart’s in right place, but just can’t do it.
Anthony Catella, while honorable serving our country in the Army, has done nothing since his March announcement.
Allen Skillicorn, carpetbagging to win a congressional seat, while legal, will not work in the primary, and wouldn’t be able to win against Underwood. If he’s serious about running, he’d better form a Federal committee and start raising money.
Jim Marter, carpetbagging challenger to Congressman Kinzinger last year, and only raised $60K? Fundraising will doom his campaign.
Sue Rezin, she’d be carpetbagging too, but being the only woman (thus far) in this race will give Underwood a run for her money. Edge still goes to Underwood, given her health care background.
Stop blaming the gov for caravans if immigrants . We are not haven for the misfortunes of others . There’s no more land to steal here sweet hearts . Indians died so we could have this great place . I’m not goin to die so someone else can take it over .
Above are many reasons to not vote for her in the future.
Love Saves Lives
Carl Lambrecht
I guess we needed the full story behind the March 30 tweets from AOC.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/ocasio-cortez-threatens-to-put-moderate-democrats-on-a-list-to-be-unseated
So would Congresswoman Underwood improve her re-election chances by being added to AOC’s “hit list” of moderate Democrats to be primaried based on votes with Republicans?
When AOC recommends State Representative Anne Stava-Murray over Senator Dick Durbin, maybe that is when Underwood should get on AOC’s “hit list”.
Just a thought.
For God’s sake, “Jim Marter” to run yet AGAIN?
Please tell me this is a JOKE!
I am growing to loathe people, on both sides of the aisle and in third parties, who feel the need to run for office in every election no matter how much they lose. And don’t insult our intelligence by pretending it’s about “public service “.
So Allen Skillicorn is taking to Twitter to win the Facebook poll matching him against Jim Oberweis, with these words, “Please please help me crush this FB poll! I’m the anti establishment candidate running against a millionaire”.
Mr. Skillicorn (and his supporters), please refer to my comment above on what Skillicorn should be doing concerning a potential congressional bid, instead of tweeting to win a Facebook poll.
Put another way, you are going to need millions of dollars to win this seat against Congresswoman Underwood if you get that far. Jim Oberweis has the millions. How about you?
And yes, Oberweis and his millions cannot beat Underwood.
Hultgren opened the door for Underwood by running one of the worst reelection campaigns imaginable. He sat on piles of campaign money and ignored his opponent who was running circles around him. Underwood was on television with misleading ads that went mostly unchallenged. When Hultgren woke up from his summer long nap, it was too late to purchase television time. He had to rely upon radio spots. It did not work.
Fear not. There is a new candidate coming in. One who can actually take on Lauren. You will hear about her soon….
Country living Hampshire Illinois supports President Trump and our Veterans. We hunt and fish and farm.