Rep. Lauren Underwood has secured reelection in Illinois’ 14th Congressional district, beating out Republican challenger Scott Gryder, NBC News projects.
Underwood, a registered nurse, was first elected to Congress in 2018 defeating incumbent Randy Hultgren in a pickup for Democrats. She faced a significant challenge in the 2020 race, edging out Jim Oberweis by less than 6,000 votes.
The Congresswoman received an infusion of support in the final days of the campaign, with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both visiting the Chicago area to drum up support for the party’s slate of candidates.
Underwood’s time in Congress has been marked with an emphasis on lowering the cost of health care, as well as fighting the progress of climate change and launching efforts to reduce inflation.
She also campaigned heavily on protecting access to abortion for women, and on a pledge to pass DACA and fundamentally overhaul immigration policy in the United States.
Gryder is currently the chairman of the Kendall County Board, and has been elected to that body on three different occasions.
The Oswego-native received a law degree from DePaul, and worked in the office of former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan.
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Gryder’s campaign focused heavily on public safety and investing in STEM training and education for Illinois workers. He also criticized the U.S. response to intellectual property theft by China’s leadership, and argued that the country needed to focus on defense against threats from all corners of the globe.
He also pledged to continue efforts to reform the national health care system, focusing on efficiency and greater competition in health-plan markets.
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