Will County Gazette

Illinois 14th Congressional District candidate Jack Lombardi II is predicting the district will go Republican in the fall election. 

Lombardi thinks that "the Conservatives are going to come out in this race."

“It's a new district," Lombardi told Will County Gazette. "I'm running against a progressive who believes in, who’s voted in lockstep with Joe Biden. And this new layout of the 14th District is a strong conservative area. Many of the people, the constituents in the district, are conservative. If they're Democrats, conservatives, or Republicans, conservative doesn't matter — is still a conservative. Even Democrat conservatives, who, though we may disagree on some policy, however, they don't support this progressive ‘wokeness’ that's happened in this country. I believe this district will come out and prove that to be true. It's a D+7 district. However, Republicans nationally are running 10 to 14 points ahead, and in Illinois, there are some numbers of 15 points ahead. So this district will flip.”

Lombardi, of Manhattan, is facing a large Republican field in the June 28 primary including Scott Gryder, Mike Koolidge, James Marter, Jaime Milton, and Susan Starrett. The eventual winner will face off against Congresswoman Lauren Underwood.

Lombardi is an entrepreneur who started Lombardi Trucking at age 22. He is also the owner of the a digital marketing company and runs multiple internet companies. He graduated from St. Laurence High School and attended Northwestern Business College. Lombardi is the father of two.

FiveThirtyEight shows the district is leaning Democratic with a 7 point advantage for Underwood. The seat is one of 13 seats leaning Democrat, three others in the state are leaning Republican, while another is a toss-up.

The 14th Congressional District includes McHenry, Sycamore, Oswego and Marengo.