Democrat Schneider Unseats Dold in Illinois 10th District Rematch
The race was a tossup heading into Election Day
Democratic former Rep. Brad Schneider is set to return to Congress, with The Associated Press projecting that he will his rematch against Republican Rep. Robert J. Dold in Illinois’ 10th District.
Schneider led Dold 52 percent to 47 percent with 100 percent of precincts reporting.
Representing a district that President Barack Obama twice won by double digits, Dold was always going to be a top Democratic target this year.
He was one of the first Republicans to take a stand against Trump, but winning re-election in this heavily Democratic district would have required him to over-perform the top of his ticket by significant margins.
[Rep. Bob Dold Walks a Re-Election Tightrope in Illinois]
Coming into Election Day, the race was rated a Tossup by The Rothenberg & Gonzalez Political Report/Roll Call.
The race was the third straight matchup between the two in the 10th District. Dold first won the seat in 2010, before narrowly losing it to Schneider in 2012. Dold won the seat back in 2014 by a tight 51 percent to 49 percent margin.
Illinois’ 10th District, located in the northeastern corner of the state, includes the city of North Chicago as well as the affluent suburbs northwest of the city of Chicago. The district is mostly white but has experienced a growth in its Hispanic population in recent years
Schneider is a fiscal conservative who is also supportive of gun control legislation and overhauling the immigration system. Before coming to Congress, he spent many years in consulting, insurance and marketing — lucrative positions that helped him build a net worth in excess of $10 million.
[No, Democrats Aren’t Abandoning Illinois’ 10th District]
Schneider was also previously an American Israel Public Affairs Committee volunteer, who met with lawmakers to lobby on pro-Israel positions.
His stances on economic policy have generally been business-friendly. As a past member of the Small Business Committee, Schneider, who has an MBA and previously belonged to the New Democrat Coalition, advocated for fewer regulations and more “targeted tax incentives” for small businesses.
Contact Bowman at bridgetbowman@rollcall.com and follow her on Twitter @bridgetbhc.
