Will County Gazette

Illinois 14th Congressional District Candidate Jack Lombardi II is advocating for policies on petroleum prices.

"I'm very much in support of American energy independence, bringing back those lower gas prices — Americans loved lower heating prices and lower grocery prices — because of the attack on fossil fuel by the Biden administration," Lombardi told Will County Gazette. 

In the Republican primary on June 28, Lombardi, a digital marketing specialist from Manhattan, Ill., will face a crowded Republican field that includes Scott Gryder, Mike Koolidge, James Marter, Jaime Milton, and Susan Starrett, according to Ballotpedia. The winner of that election will face U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL).

Illinois has the country's second-highest gas tax, mystateline.com reported. Despite comments that his administration is looking at ways to "reduce the gas tax across the State of Illinois because we recognize, even since I introduced my budget, that war has broken out, and the result of that war is that oil prices have gone through the roof," Pritzker has not made any movement and has blamed an ongoing conflict. 

Pritzker proposed a freeze in February but has yet to act on his suggestion, Illinois Policy reported. Early in his reign, he led the charge to double the gas tax. 

Taxes alone cost Illinoisans 77.96 cents a gallon, Illinois Policy reported. This includes both federal and state taxes. Missouri, just across the border to the west, has the second-lowest gas tax in the country. A gallon of gas costs 42 cents more in Illinois than it does in Missouri due to differing tax rules.

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