Foster, Lauf Face Off In 11th Congressional District: IL Election 2022

NAPERVILLE, IL — Incumbent Democratic Rep. Bill Foster will defend his seat in the 11th Congressional District of Illinois against Catalina Lauf in Tuesday's 2022 general election.

Foster began his first term in Congress in 2008, when he was elected to represent the state's 14th Congressional District after Dennis Hastert's resignation. He represented District 14 until 2011, when he lost the seat to Randy Hultgren.

In 2012, Foster, who had relocated to Naperville, was elected to his first term representing District 11. He has been the district's congressman since.

Foster, 67, wasn't always a politician. A particle physicist by trade, Foster earned his bachelors degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin, before getting his PhD in the same field from Harvard.

He has a wife and two adult children.

Health Care

Foster, who voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2010, believes that "adequate health care should be a right for every American," his website states.

Immigration

Rep. Foster writes on his website that he is in favor of "comprehensive immigration reform and policies that foster inclusiveness for everyone." He supports improving opportunities and creating more equitability for DREAMers.

Gun Control

Per his campaign website, Foster is in favor of expanding firearm background checks and banning sales of "military-style assault weapons." After a bill to ban assault weapons passed in the House of Representatives in July, Foster said, in part:

“Assault weapons are the weapon of choice for mass shooters — from Uvalde, Texas to Highland Park, Illinois — because they are designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. These weapons of war have no place in our communities.

Education

Foster's campaign site explains that he is in favor of using public dollars to fund public education. He writes, "I support the right of every young person to have access to a high quality, affordable education that does not leave students with crippling debt."

In August, Foster said of Biden's student loan debt relief plan, "I applaud President Biden’s action to provide much-needed breathing room for countless student loan borrowers. Student debt is a serious economic burden for far too many Americans, and we must do all we can to support them as our nation recovers from the economic repercussions of the pandemic."

Click the link to read Rep. Foster's response to Patch's candidate survey.

Catalina Lauf

Born in Woodstock to an Illinois business owner and a Latin American immigrant, Catalina Lauf was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce as a special adviser in 2018.

Since finishing college, Lauf has worked in the private sector for a startup company.

On her campaign website, she states, "I realized my passion was for people, public service and fighting for our American values (don’t worry, I’ll term-limit myself). I decided to run for Congress to bring Common Sense back to our State."

In June, Lauf defeated Republicans Mark Carroll, Jerry Evans, Susan Hathaway-Altman, Andrea Heeg and Cassandra Tanner Miller to challenge Foster in this upcoming general election.

Health Care

According to Lauf, lockdowns linked to coronavirus were "unconstitutional" and "destroyed our small businesses and impacted mental health."

She writes, "Whether it be the censorship of free speech or unconstitutional mandates and lockdowns, governments at all levels are working to take away the rights of its lawful citizen — our individual liberties are under attack."

Immigration

Lauf's website states, "To keep our communities safe and secure, we must enforce law and order at all levels, whether at our border or within our cities. A Country without borders, is no Country at all. As the daughter of an immigrant from Central America, my family and I know the value of a safe and secure border and the need for legal immigration. Furthermore, we must be tough on crime and support our men and women in blue so we don’t end up like Cook County! I will be outspoken on ALL of these issues; it’s time for your Representative to have a backbone!"

Gun Control

In March 2021, Lauf took to Twitter to rail against Colorado's gun control laws. She shared an image of the state's regulations and wrote,

"Gun control should not be a *political discussion* it is a gross infringement on the Rights of Man and law abiding citizens."

Education

Lauf refers to the current state of education in the United States as "indoctrination" on her website. She opposes Critical Race Theory in schools and advocates for parents' rights and school choice.

Her website states, "We don’t have enough leaders on the National level fighting against forced mandates, Critical Race Theory and other issues seen in our schools today. "

Catalina Lauf did not respond to Patch's candidate survey ahead of the 2022 general election.

About Illinois' 11th Congressional District

The 11th Congressional District of Illinois encompasses parts of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Darien, Downers Grove, Joliet, Lisle, Montgomery, New Lenox, Naperville, Shorewood and Woodridge.