Jim Carris Runs As Republican In 10th Congressional District: Candidate Questionnaire

LAKE FOREST, IL — Republican candidate Jim Carris is challenging incumbent Democrat Rep. Brad Schneider in Illinois' 10th Congressional District.

As part of our commitment to providing voters with information about local elections, we shared identical questionnaires with both campaigns and are publishing each candidate's responses in their entirety and in the order it was received, without edits or alterations.

Carris' answers, offering insight into his policy positions and priorities as he seeks to represent the residents of the 1oth District, are below.

Name:
Jim Carris

Town of Residence:
Lake Forest

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Family:
Wife, Kimberly; three children

Education:
JD, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, MBA, University of Notre Dame, BA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Occupation:
Managing Principal, Colliers International

Previous or current elected or appointed office:
None

Campaign website:
www.carrisforcongress.com

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

The most pressing problem in our district is the skyrocketing cost of living. Families here are struggling to afford everyday necessities like groceries, gas, and childcare, and it's putting an enormous strain on their ability to thrive. Our district is home to a diverse population, and many families need relief now, not later.

My approach is threefold: First, I support extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which is set to expire in 2025. These tax cuts are critical to ensuring families keep more of their hard-earned money. Second, we need to bring jobs back to Illinois by identifying new and innovative ways to attract businesses and investment to our state. Third, we must focus on bringing down inflation to ease the financial burden on families, so they can focus on what matters most—raising their children and building a future. This includes creating a pro-business environment by reducing government overregulation, prioritizing an increase in the number of economic opportunity zones, especially in areas like Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion, and promoting the use of cleaner-burning fuels such as natural gas as well as sustainable energy solutions to help reduce utility expenses over time and on-shore jobs back to our District.

As a businessman, I know how to balance a budget and have signed both sides of a check. I’ll take that experience to Congress to bring some financial discipline to our spending problem with the goal of reigning in our annual deficits and overall national debt. The solutions that I am proposing will help put citizens back in control of their financial futures, creating a more stable and prosperous district for everyone.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Our district has had a long history of hardworking representatives who represented our strong, intelligent, common sense district - like US Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Bob Dold - both of whom have endorsed my campaign. We need to go back to that legacy. I jumped into this race because, as a father of young kids and a constituent of this District, I could no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the gridlock in Washington that is hurting the families right here in the 10th District.

I am a fiscal conservative and social moderate who will bring my business experience and discipline to Congress, something sorely lacking. I am also an environmental and real estate attorney who kwow how to protect our environment for the future while still allowing for our economy to flourish. promise to go to Washington to serve our country - this role is a job and a civic duty - not a cushy gig with more benefits than working days. I am a term limit candidate who will pledge no more than five (5) terms in Congress, straighten things out and then hand the reigns over to the next qualified person to carry on. In Congress, I’ll use my real-world experience to deliver results for the people of the 10th District, focusing on lowering the cost of living, creating jobs, increasing public safety, and supporting our national security.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the incumbent not done what you wanted or done something different than you would have done?

The economy is my top priority, and I am focused on lowering the cost of living and bringing sustainable careers to the 10th District. Under my opponent, the cost of living in our district has increased by more than $1,000 per month for a family of four. In 2012, and again in 2016, Mr. Schneider said that he supported raising Social Security’s taxable earnings cap, which would result in additional taxes for workers. He was an outspoken opponent of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and has supported all of the massive spending bills including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act which would hire thousands of new IRS agents to more aggressively audit taxpayers. He voted against adding a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution and has repeatedly voted to raise the federal debt limit.

He has been quoted on the record saying he won’t work across the aisle and has also supported policies making it easier to sue police officers, voted against giving cop killers the death penalty, and voted against classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 narcotics.

He has voted 97% of the time with Joe Biden and 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi while telling people in the District that’s independent and listening to them. In addition to passing zero bills into law in a decade in office, Mr. Schneider failed to disclose personal stock trades on time as required by law and has received over $160,000 in free travel from various special interest groups. These are just a few examples of his lack of leadership. Our constituents deserve a representative who will be honest, transparent, and completely independent of special interest groups.

He has also not made any progress on attracting investment to the cities of North Chicago, Waukegan or Zion, jewels along the lake nor has he made any efforts to clean up the contaminated areas along the lake that will be the foothold for investment and job creation for the district. This will be the first bill I propose in Congress when elected.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform is defined by independence, compassion, and common sense and my focus is on the economy, public safety, and national security.

Crime continues to take hold of Chicago and the Chicagoland area and bleed into our neighborhoods in Lake and McHenry counties. The reality is that we continue to experience a crime epidemic that is driving businesses and residents out of our state, all the while the current politicians enable criminals with soft-on-crime policies.

Unfortunately, Mr. Schneider has supported legislation that would make it easier to prosecute and sue police officers for actions taken on the job as well as voting against a House resolution expressing support for police officers and condemning “calls to defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the police.” I will support our local police departments and ensure they have the funding and resources they need to do their jobs.

I had the honor of participating in a ridealong with the Waukegan Police Department. The experience left an indelible mark on me. I witnessed firsthand the immense challenges our officers face daily and saw their unwavering dedication to keeping our communities safe. What I saw inspired me to write an op-ed as a testament to how hard our police officers and first responders work. They deserve not only our respect but also our full support to ensure they have the resources, training, and community connections needed to do their jobs effectively.

As your candidate for Illinois' 10th Congressional District, I’m running to restore respect for law enforcement and advocate for policies that fund our police, expand training opportunities, and build stronger relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?

Our district needs immediate action. My first bill would focus on our communities and local needs, so I would propose bipartisan comprehensive legislation to clean up the Waukegan Lakefront and attract private investment to create jobs and give people hope in the district.

By cleaning up the lake front, we can address one of the key challenges facing the 10th District. This would result in renewed economic investment opportunities in the community, increased property values, create jobs and hope for families throughout the District, especially those living North of the Lake Bluff line.

Through bills like this - created by the constituents and for the constituents - I want to rebuild the public’s faith in government and empower them to raise their families in pursuit of the American Dream.

Why are you running for office?

I’m not a politician—I’m a business leader and a decades-long resident of Lake County. I’m running for Congress to serve your family and change the direction of this country, focusing on passing real solutions based on logic, compassion, and common sense. We’ve tried the Brad Schneider experiment for a decade, and the results are ineffective leadership, absentee representation, and results that have hurt our families.

I’ve spent my career creating jobs, balancing budgets, and advocating for my community. These experiences have shaped my commitment to public safety, national security, and economic growth, and I’m ready to provide independent, common-sense leadership that delivers real results for the people of our district. Also, having been a real estate and environmental attorney, I consider the protection of our environment to be of utmost importance to our future, especially as it relates to protecting one of our most valuable resources, Lake Michigan.

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office. Do you think they are different than your opponent?

The current representative never saw a spending bill he didn’t like. I will bring fiscal discipline, that of a true businessman, to Congress. I will vote for a balanced budget amendment and support the line item veto, which will curb spending. I will treat taxpayer dollars as I have treated my own and those of my investors, with care, discipline, and discretion such that the people of the 10th Congressional District will know that their hard-earned payments to the government are being used for truly good reasons. As I’ve said, I’ve signed both sides of the check. I remember the days and sleepless nights of worrying about how to make payroll. I’ve also been an employee and know what it’s like to see substantial taxes taken out of my pay every two weeks. Our current Congressman and many of our leaders in Washington have forgotten this money is the American people’s and not theirs. I’ll bring this insight and care to Congress.

What would you do to help constituents struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living?

The most pressing problem in our district is the skyrocketing cost of living. Families here are struggling to afford everyday necessities like groceries, gas, and childcare, and it's putting an enormous strain on their ability to thrive. Our district is home to a diverse population, and many families need relief now, not later.

My approach is threefold: First, I support extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire in 2025. These tax cuts are critical to ensuring families keep more of their hard-earned money. Second, we need to bring jobs back to Illinois by identifying new and innovative ways to attract businesses and investment to our state. Third, we must focus on bringing down inflation to ease the financial burden on families, so they can focus on what matters most—raising their children and building a future. This includes creating a pro-business environment by reducing government overregulation, prioritizing an increase in the number of economic opportunity zones, especially in areas like Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion, and promoting the use of cleaner-burning fuels such as natural gas as well as sustainable energy solutions to help reduce utility expenses over time and on-shore jobs back to our District.

As a businessman, I know how to balance a budget and have signed both sides of a check. I’ll take that experience to Congress to bring some financial discipline to our spending problem with the goal of reigning in our annual deficits and overall national debt. The solutions that I am proposing will help put citizens back in control of their financial futures, creating a more stable and prosperous district for everyone. our District.

Regarding the migrant crisis: Should the Biden Administration stiffen requirements for asylum seekers, and should Texas provide more notice to Illinois when busing migrants to the Chicago area?

I went to the southern border earlier this summer, the current congressman has not been there since 2019, and I’ve seen firsthand the tragedies that are taking place. The overflow of human trafficking and fentanyl into this country is at record amounts.

This current problem is exacerbated by President Biden‘s executive order eliminating the remain-in-Mexico policy, which allowed for the US to process asylum seekers while they stayed in Mexico.

I visited with Border Patrol, the local sheriff's office, the crisis intervention center, the food bank, and the local hospital. The stories of human trafficking and tragedy are heartbreaking. The only people benefiting from this policy are the cartels. They are making billions of dollars bringing people into this country.

All the while those immigrants are being trafficked and sent around the country with no social infrastructure to help them. Meanwhile, Our local citizens, such as those in need and veterans, are not getting the resources that they deserve and are owed.

I also observed the fact that 25% of the millions of people who have come over the border are “getaways, “ which are people who are coming into this country and are not being processed by border patrol. We don’t know who they are, where they’re going, or what their intention is in this country.

This is a major national security crisis that keeps me up at night. We need comprehensive immigration reform immediately, and we need to close the borders immediately.

I am the son of an immigrant, so I am very much in favor of legal immigration, but we need to do it the legal and proper way so as to help those immigrants who want to come here and protect the US citizens who are already here.

Should state or federal funding be provided to help municipalities address the arrival of asylum seekers?

For starters, our leaders in Washington must know the data and face the physical evidence of what is happening at the border and in our communities.

As I stated above, I visited the border in Yuma, AZ earlier this year; my opponent hasn’t been down there since 2019. He lacks the perspective and reality check from local officials, including the Sheriff’s offices, healthcare workers, NGO leaders, and Border Patrol officials. Over 6 million people have come over the border under the Biden Administration – of those, 25% are “gottaways.”

Many local and state services are all being overwhelmed by the migrants – losing millions of dollars to being a safety net for migrants – but this shouldn’t be the case. Local and state governments should not be bearing the brunt of this crisis – it’s an abject failure of the federal government to allow this to happen. The border must be closed, and comprehensive immigration reform needs to be enacted immediately to solve this issue.

Is the federal government doing enough to secure the borders? Why or why not?

We need comprehensive immigration reform immediately. As the son of an immigrant who came to America in search of opportunity, I understand firsthand the importance and life-changing nature of legal immigration. America is the land of opportunity and hope, and we must secure our borders and streamline our legal immigration system to create sustainable, lawful pathways for those who wish to pursue the American dream. The first step to fixing this issue is to close the border immediately and stop the flow of illegal immigration. Until we secure the border, nothing else we do will be effective.

Congress must next work together to streamline our legal immigration system to create sustainable, lawful pathways for those who wish to pursue the American dream. This means bipartisan legislature that decreases the processing time for paperwork and legal proceedings, invests in technology that expedites the background check process, and creates incentives for immigrants to seek gainful employment and create strong community ties. People who contribute to our society and have followed the rules deserve clarity on their status.

There must also be clear and swift consequences for those immigrants who break laws including sustainable deportation mechanisms that are actively enforced - for example, laws like the recently proposed Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act that my opponent voted against, would set a strong precedent that crime will not be tolerated, particularly by those who are actively trying to get residency in the United States.

I will work across the aisle to advance common-sense policy solutions, grounded in our shared value of compassion, that focus on closing the border, reforming the broken pathways to citizenship, cracking down on human trafficking, and stopping the flow of drugs, including fentanyl, into our communities.

Should the US continue providing military funding to Israel?

As a strong supporter of Israel, I believe the U.S. must continue its unwavering support for our key ally in the Middle East. My pro-Israel stance is shaped by my understanding of the ongoing threats Israel faces from terrorist organizations like Hamas and by my personal experience as someone who has experienced the terror of being held hostage by an offshoot of the PLO as a young boy.

I’ve seen the fear in my mother’s eyes at the hands of terrorists, and I know we cannot give brutal terrorists an inch. The indecision and lack of immediate action on bringing the hostages taken on October 7th home is unacceptable. We must stand with Israel now in demanding the return of the hostages still being held by Hamas. The safe return of the hostages is nonnegotiable and this must be done before any talk of ceasefire.

We need leadership that stands firm for Israel and sets a precedent on the global stage.
The United States must continue to demonstrate leadership on the world stage with intentional, unwavering support of those fighting for human rights - this is a fundamental role that our great nation has played and should continue to play.

I know firsthand the terror of being a hostage. 1969, my family was aboard TWA Flight 840 when it was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who mistakenly believed Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin was on board.

After being surrounded by Israeli fighter jets, the plane was forced to land on a deserted airstrip near Damascus, Syria. The passengers were made to disembark, running across the desert amid gunfire and explosions. We were then held by armed guerrillas and separated by gender, heightening their fear and uncertainty. My family was eventually released through diplomatic efforts and flown to safety in Athens.

Despite the terror of this ordeal, it does not compare to the horrors faced by hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. I am resolved that more must be done and action must be taken to free the hostages immediately.

Should the U.S. continue providing military aid to Ukraine?

The U.S. should continue to support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty against Russian aggression. We must provide military and humanitarian aid while ensuring greater accountability measures. Our support should be unwavering but measured, ensuring stability in the region. I support an aid package with strict accountability measures to ensure that American investment abroad is respected and furthers the pillars of our national security priorities.

Should candidates be disqualified from holding office if they faced misdemeanor charges related to Jan. 6, 2021?

If they are convicted, yes, they should be disqualified.

Do you support your party's nominee in the presidential race?

[did not answer]

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am, first and foremost, a husband and a father of three kids. My wife Kimberly and I have one in grade school, one in high school, and one in college.

They are products of the public school system here in the district. I saw my kids and their friends struggle during Covid I know what it’s like to be a father of school-age kids and the trials and tribulations they are going through in this current environment.

It is for these kids and all the kids and grandkids in the district that I entered this race and am fighting for more common-sense solutions to the issues facing this country and our district.

I am a longtime resident of Lake County, I went to Stevenson High School, the University of Illinois, Loyola Law, and the University of Notre Dame. I’ve lived elsewhere in my adult life, but my wife and I chose to come back to the 10th Congressional District to raise our children because we believe this is an exceptional place to raise a family.
Seeing what has transpired over the last few years, I Believe with my whole heart that we, the people of the 10th Congressional District, deserve better. We deserve a congressman who’s going to go to Washington and put the people of the district first, not someone who is looking for a bigger, better office or to rise in the ranks of his party. My pledge is to bring a common sense business person‘s perspective, agree to term limits, and, after I’ve served, come back to my family and resume my life as a citizen of the 10th congressional district.