Lake Forest Businessman Jim Carris Challenges Congressman Brad Schneider In 10th District

WAUKEGAN, IL — As voters head to the polls, Illinois' 10th Congressional District election between five-term incumbent Rep. Brad Schneider, a Highland Park Democrat, and first-time Republican challenger Jim Carris, a Lake Forest business leader, are vying for a seat in the House of Representatives.

The race between Schneider and Carris has been notable for the manner in which both candidates have sought to portray themselves as centrist independent types, ever willing to reach across the aisle to get things done.

Schneider, running for a sixth, non-consecutive term, has emphasized his track record of bipartisan achievements and leadership in Congress.

In a candidate forum, he pointed to his role in the passage of the Sustainable Skies Act for sustainable fuels, the Securing Our Schools Act for increased school safety measures, and the DEFEND Act, which seeks stronger U.S. defense collaborations in the Middle East.

The Highland Park Democrat, a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, has also championed affordable healthcare, public safety and climate action.

Carris, a commercial real estate executive and attorney, has focused his campaign on the themes of government reform, economic independence and public safety. He has also highlighted his experience of being taken hostage with his family for more than a day following the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 when he was 6 years old.

Running as a non-career politician, Carris promised to prioritize “independence, compassion, and common sense.” He has called for a reduction in government size, lower taxes and an emphasis on domestic energy production.

"I'm also concerned that the American way of life is in danger, seeing the rise of socialism from the far left and deterioration of our freedoms," Carris said in a recent forum.

Schneider pointed out that he was both the first member of the Illinois congressional delegation to endorse President Joe Biden four years ago and the second after Rep. Mike Quigley to call for Biden to abandon his reelection bid.

"I make hard decisions," Schneider said. "I'm willing to stick my neck out, and I'm willing to do what the right thing to do to represent the people of the 10th."

The Republican nominee noted that he receives more criticism from the far-right wing of his own party than he does from Democrats.

The 10th District, which spans the North Shore from Lake County westward into parts of McHenry County, has seen demographic and boundary shifts from the most recent redistricting.

No Republican has managed to garner more than 40 percent of the vote in the 10th District since Schneider defeated Kenilworth Republican Bob Dold since the incumbent came out on top in the third of three straight contests in 2016.

Carris’s endorsements include Dold, former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, former Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger, three members of the McHenry County Board, and the mayor of Lincolnshire, though no major organizations have endorsed him, according to campaign representatives.

Schneider’s endorsements, meanwhile, include the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, and Journal & Topics Newspapers, along with nearly two dozen organizations. His support spans major labor unions, reproductive rights and gun control groups, and pro-Israel political action committees.

Schneider currently serves as vice chair of the centrist New Democrat Coalition and is campaigning to become the coalition's chair. The group includes nearly half of House Democrats and advocates for bipartisan and pro-business policies.

Read more: Rep. Brad Schneider, Businessman Jim Carris Tout Centrist Credentials In 10th District