Will County Gazette

Illinois 14th Congressional District candidate Jack Lombardi II is calling for citizens to rally against big tech censorship. 

“I’m an individual business owner with a lot of years of experience of building successful businesses," Lombardi told Will County Gazette. "And I believe that the voter is going to recognize my background. One of the main issues we're having as conservatives is being silenced online.” 

Lombardi is a longtime entrepreneur from Manhattan. At the age of 22, he founded Lombardi Trucking. He currently owns and operates many internet businesses, including a digital marketing firm. He attended Northwestern Business College after graduating from St. Laurence High School. Lombardi has two children.

He considers himself the "only candidate who has acknowledged an ability to go and take that fight ... against Big Tech and hold Big Tech accountable for not only the censorship of conservatives but also the division of our country by silencing our voice."

Last year he "called for Attorney General Merrick Garland to be fired or impeached over his attempt to police the free speech of citizens and concerned parents at school board meetings across the nation."

In the Republican primary on June 28, Lombardi will face a crowded field, including Scott Gryder, Mike Koolidge, James Marter, Jaime Milton, and Susan Starrett. According to Ballotpedia, the eventual winner will face off against incumbent Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D).

FiveThirtyEight data showed that the district is leaning Democratic, with Underwood leading by 7 points. The seat is one of 13 in the state that lean Democratic, three others lean Republican, and one is considered a toss-up.

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