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* Tribune…
Freshman Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood said Monday that she thinks the influence of the party’s presidential contenders on her chances for reelection in the traditionally Republican 14th Congressional District would be “neutral at best or really difficult at worst.”
Appearing before about 150 people at the City Club of Chicago, Underwood was asked if she shared concerns among some Democratic moderates that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could hurt down-ballot Democrats who won in 2018 or are in swing districts, should he win the nomination.
“Some people are neutral and some people are not and no one in my opinion that’s running on the Democratic ticket is helpful to me in my race,” Underwood replied, drawing murmurs from the crowd.
Underwood defeated three-term GOP Rep. Randy Hultgren in 2018 in an exurban district that has long backed conservative Republicans. She noted that she defeated Hultgren by 5 percentage points while J.B. Pritzker lost to Bruce Rauner in the district by 8 percentage points — though Pritzker defeated Rauner statewide by 16 percentage points.
* Politico…
Political consultant Jim Terman, who posed the question, told Playbook that Underwood’s answer “caught folks by surprise…but when you think about it, it made sense.” […]
Underwood’s response explains the reality of being a Democrat in a swing district, says senior adviser Ronnie Cho. “Her re-election has more to do with her than anybody else. She knows her re-election is contingent on her campaign, policies and record,” Cho told Playbook.
And if there’s any question about Underwood’s dedication to Democratic infrastructure, Cho points to the political action committee Underwood just started to help down-ballot candidates. Farm Team PAC is focused on electing Democratic candidates within IL-14.
Only two statewide Democratic candidates won Underwood’s district in 2018: Secretary of State Jesse White (who won 14 of 16 districts) and Comptroller Susana Mendoza (who won all but four districts). No statewide Dems won the district in the 2016 and 2012 presidential cycles, and only White won it in 2014.
By the way, as I told subscribers yesterday, Underwood’s Farm Team PAC had just $992.69 in the bank at the end of 2019 and hasn’t reported any contributions since then. It was created about 13 months ago.
…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, here’s a story about an Indivisible Evanston gathering for Underwood last week...
Underwood also emphasized her role as a bipartisan congresswoman who can appeal to a variety of voters. She said many Trump supporters voted for her in 2018, and hopes to continue that trend. […]
Underwood stressed to Evanston residents that they might have to speak cautiously when helping her campaign in the district. She said they should speak on shared values as opposed to a “lack of empathy for our neighbors.”
Additionally, Underwood instructed those helping the campaign to maintain “awareness and discipline” when knocking on the doors of District 14 voters, who are generally not as liberal as many Evanston residents.
“Speaker Pelosi has a lot of sayings, but one of the things that she always tells us is that the things you can say in San Francisco you can’t say Michigan, but what you can say in Michigan, you can say San Francisco; you’re San Francisco, I’m Michigan,” Underwood said.
She also said potential GOP opponent Jim Oberweis has “very well-established bigoted and racist views.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:34 am
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The Jim Terman quote in POLITICO says it best, and Underwood started to float this theme last Wednesday speaking to the Evanston chapter of Indivisible, and the Daily Northwestern reported the story.
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2020/02/19/city/underwood-campaigns-for-re-election-support-at-indivisible-evanston-event
So Speaker Pelosi advises to dissemble the campaign for the fall within the 14th district. Do check out what Underwood said in Evanston last week.
Comment by John Lopez Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:41 am
Yikes this could make hard for GOPies like the CarWashKing to tag her as a socialist. Guessin’ they will try, but we can depend on Capt. Fax and other truth tellers to blast them out of the sky.
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:44 am
The GOP lie machine will be running on full throttle trying to get this seat back. People still need to focus on healthcare and be reminded of GOP efforts to trash it without any coherent plan to replace it.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:46 am
=== Yikes this could make hard for GOPies like the CarWashKing to tag her as a socialist. ===
They call everyone they don’t like a “socialist”. They used the word so much and in such trivial ways that the word has lost its meaning.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:51 am
Underwood’s honesty is surprising. Her comments give a hint that she has perhaps not enjoyed her initial stint in Washington as much as she’d hoped and is at least preparing for the possibility of losing her seat. Without considerable financial support from the DNC organization (that she is apparently rather meh about) it’ hard to see her mounting an effective re-election campaign in this district.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:52 am
Jesse White won 17 of 18.
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:54 am
Norseman, Underwood is definitely keeping the healthcare theme. In October, she launched her Five Point Plan to reduce prescription drug costs, and yesterday at the City Club, prior to the Q&A that caused the commotion, she laid out an aggressive policy initiative she refers to as “Momnibus” to expand on healthcare she’ll be running on in 2020.
The entire video from yesterday is embedded in the article below. It’s queued to the question the Tribune and POLITICO wrote about, but start it at beginning to hear about Underwood’s Momnibus legislation she’ll be pushing later this year, in time for the fall campaign.
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/02/25/il-14-left-trying-to-redefine-socialism-and-distinguish-democratic-socialism
Comment by John Lopez Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:56 am
This is my District. I knew Randy for years. He was half hearted at best. All I can say is she is a much much better politician than I thought she would ever be. She has impressed people and I think she may be around for a real long time and maybe in different offices. As a Republican if it is Oberweis she has my vote.
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 9:58 am
Gotta think Biden would be a lot closer to “neutral” than Bernie.
Comment by Natty_B Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:00 am
DuPage Saint — And if the Republican nominee is Sue Rezin, who would have your vote in November? Rezin is the only one in striking distance of Oberweis, and he is running scared of Rezin.
Comment by John Lopez Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:02 am
“Underwood also emphasized her role as a bipartisan congresswoman”
She is using the “campaign as a moderate” rhetoric which is good move in the 14th. Her record in congress says otherwise.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/lauren-underwood/
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/177001/lauren-underwood
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:04 am
She is only “reasonable and moderate” when knocking on doors
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:13 am
Watch any of Sanders 80’s interviews on Cuba Russia or the Sandinistas and his recent comments about Castro and you know why Underwood is nervous. Yesterday virtually every D member of the Florida delegation denounced Sanders statements. If Sanders is the Nominee McCarthy is Speaker McConnell is Majority leader and Trump is re-elected. It’s probably necessary for the Dem party to see this happen because then it can rid itself of the Sanders influence. Today Sanders and the Squad rule the PRty not Pelosi and Schumer
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:22 am
John Lopez: Rezin in primary and hopefully general. If not Rezin I think I go Underwood no matter who Republicans put up.
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:44 am
IL-14’s 2018 vote for Underwood over Hultgren had more to do with Republicans in the district not liking Rauner than it did favoring Underwood.
Also Hultgren did not do himself any favors by hiding in private events for his tenure in Congress. 2018 IL voters (nationwide voters, for that matter) wanted somebody who will produce results, and Hultgren was definitely not that guy.
But what I am saying is this district will naturally go back to voting more red in 2020, and she will have a very tough time winning with a Sanders at the top of the ticket.
Comment by Alfred Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:48 am
Despite cherry picking votes, she is closer to the center than most Dems on all but health care. And even there she is right of Sanders.
Comment by Proud Sucker Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 10:56 am
==She is only “reasonable and moderate” ==
Would you please go offline for reprogramming soon.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:07 am
The Overton window may be moving again, much to the chagrin of those who like it right where it is now.
Comment by Lefty Lefty Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:11 am
I see a pattern, everyone who disagrees with you should leave the state, go off line or is a bot
keep telling yourself this district is suddenly liberal
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:23 am
Lucky, keep telling yourself it’s 30 years ago. “Father Knows Best” is coming on soon, sit yourself here in front of the TV. Yes, turn the channel.
Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:39 am
=== Her record in congress says otherwise.===
Thanks for posting this. That’s a good record.
I especially like the fact Underwood wants to reduce taxes for her constituents. H.R.5377 - Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:43 am
=I see a pattern…..keep telling yourself =
Did a spit take there, please tell me that was snark.
If not, maybe a “tone deaf” hall of fame comment there.
You are precious.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:45 am
I appreciate Underwood’s candor and as an independent have to admit I feel a lot like she does.
Maybe she will start a trend of politicians who put people before party. The GOP seems list but maybe the democrats can?
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:48 am
– And even there she is right of Sanders. –
That… is not going to remotely good enough to win reelection in that district.
Comment by JB13 Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:48 am
I looked at progressive punch.org for voting scores. I have looked at them previously to see how the congressman that AOC replaced voted. He was as liberal as Bobby Rush. But AOC is more liberal than Jan S. from Illinois.
LU is well to the middle for IL D’s.
Interestingly, Brad S and Cheri B have more conservative records than DanL. Foster is pretty close to DL too.
So I guess there’s only one sin that has caused him to have a primary 😆😆😆😆
Comment by Fav human Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:56 am
One of my opponents who won 55% of the vote is a racist and a bigot.
She forgot to use the word deplorable.
Maybe Representative Underwood should take her own advise and “speak cautiously” in a district Trump won by 4%
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 11:59 am
Remember that one time at nurse camp?
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 12:08 pm
=It’s probably necessary for the Dem party to see this happen because then it can rid itself of the Sanders influence.=
Ironic. Similar comments were made about the Republican party and Trump’s influence prior to 2016. If the last presidential election taught us anything it’s that nothing is certain.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 12:11 pm
“Yesterday virtually every D member of the Florida delegation denounced Sanders statements.”
Yep. Underwood is never going to win Tampa now.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 12:44 pm
The self-awareness expressed in her above comments is why she has a fair chance to keep the seat.
Comment by CubsFan16 Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 12:55 pm
== L-14’s 2018 vote for Underwood over Hultgren had more to do with Republicans in the district not liking Rauner than it did favoring Underwood. ==
umm
== Underwood defeated three-term GOP Rep. Randy Hultgren in 2018 in an exurban district that has long backed conservative Republicans. She noted that she defeated Hultgren by 5 percentage points while J.B. Pritzker lost to Bruce Rauner in the district by 8 percentage points — though Pritzker defeated Rauner statewide by 16 percentage points. ===
So she won the district because Republicans didn’t like Rauner, but Rauner won the district? So they voted for her because they didn’t like Rauner then voted for Rauner?
Go it
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 1:03 pm
She really has to thread the needle in that district. But, it seems like she really has a great understanding of it as opposed to falling in with idealogues. I thought moderates had gone the way of fax machines and 8-track players.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 1:15 pm
=She really has to thread the needle in that district.=
Or run against Jim Oberweis.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 1:32 pm
“Biden would be a lot closer to “neutral” than Bernie”
True, but Dems did that with Hillary last time and it didn’t work. As they say, you always fight the last election. Bernie could start a wave like Trump or be a wet firecracker like Hillary. No one knows.
Comment by Simple Simon Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 1:39 pm
OneMan, an excellent and logical point. The GOP doesn’t like it when people use their critical thinking skills to look at facts and logic.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 2:40 pm
Hopefully that district flips back. A partisan house is best for all.
Comment by Hal Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 2:49 pm
Meant bi-partisan house of course.
Comment by Hal Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 2:50 pm
===So she won the district because Republicans didn’t like Rauner, but Rauner won the district? So they voted for her because they didn’t like Rauner then voted for Rauner?===
This is called…
Restaurant Quality.
If you don’t understand why Hultgren and Roskam lost and why the ILGOP thinks Oberweis’ own Senate district *might* flip to the Dems this cycle too… you can’t be helped
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Feb 25, 20 @ 2:57 pm