Will County Gazette

James Marter, the Republican nominee for U.S. House Illinois District 14, recently took to Facebook to critique his opponent's voting record. In a post addressed to the Will County Young Republicans, Marter scrutinized incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood's legislative decisions.

"Marter: 'Check out Lauren Underwood's voting record....she is out of touch," said James T Marter, Chairman, according to Facebook.

Marter wrote in his Facebook post: "Lauren Underwood is out of touch with the voters in the 14th IL district. She isn't doing a good job at all. Check out her voting record. Lauren Underwood certainly isn't working for her constituents but AGAINST them."

Marter for Congress March 22 Facebook post | Marter for Congress March 22 Facebook page

He drew attention to several house resolutions where Underwood voted 'No'. These included the Stop the Cartels Act, the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act, the Protection of Women & Girls in Sports Act, the Secure the Border Act, and the Halt Fentanyl Act. Marter also pointed out Underwood's vote against a resolution condemning support for Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations at higher education institutions.

In terms of electoral performance, Marter emerged victorious from a primary election held on March 19. He faced two challengers - Charlie Kim and Kristal Dorey - but managed to secure 79.1% of votes (24,502 votes in total). Kim received 20.9% of votes (6,462 votes), while Dorey did not receive any votes according to Ballotpedia data.

In November's general election, Marter will compete against incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood who first secured her seat in 2018.

According to his campaign website biography, Marter is a lifelong resident of Illinois. Born in Peoria County, he has lived in Illinois’ 14th Congressional district for 24 years and raised his family there. Since 2015, he has been an active figure in local politics and currently chairs the Kendall County Republicans - a position he has been elected to three times. Additionally, he serves as a Trustee in the Oswego Library District and a deputy on the GOP State Central Committee for the 14th Congressional District. Marter's professional background spans a 35-year career in information technology, project management, and business process implementation.

Marter's campaign has received endorsements from several entities and individuals including Moms for America, Illinois Citizens for Life Federal PAC, Rep. Mary Miller, Mark Rice, Katie Deane-Schlottman, Jen Monson among others as stated on his campaign website.