OSWEGO – In Illinois 14th CD, seven Republicans are on the March 17th primary ballot seeking to challenge Democrat incumbent Lauren Underwood in the November 2020. Conservative businessman Jim Marter believes his staunch position to protect human life separates him from others on the GOP primary ballot.
“I am pro-life, 100% pro-life and un-apologetically pro-life. I will not rest until we have changed hearts and minds and have protections for ALL life, guaranteed,” he said in a statement released. Marter says he "believes abortion is nothing less than depriving an innocent child, a person, of their life, their most basic human right, and therefore, abortion is gravely evil and never permissible."
First term Democrat US Rep. Lauren Underwood surprised many in the 14th CD when in the 2018 election's "Blue Wave" Underwood won over GOP incumbent Randy Hultgren in a district Donald Trump won in 2016.
"Underwood supports abortion on demand and the largest abortion provider in the nation, Planned Parenthood, whose affiliates are under investigation for illegally selling baby parts for profit," Marter said. ""A 'real nurse' wouldn’t support the taking of an innocent human life. It’s my mission to completely eliminate taxpayer funding for abortion and defund Planned Parenthood permanently.”
Marter said while he attended this year's "March for Life" in Chicago last weekend, four of his GOP primary opponents Jim Oberweis, Sue Rezin, Ted Gradel and Catalin Lauf were noticeably absent. He pointed to two of his opponents' public statements that question their commitment to protecting human life.
"During a previous campaign, State Senator Oberweis infamously equated pro-lifers to the Taliban, apologizing only when threatened with an opposing ad campaign from the Catholic League," Marter said in the statement. "He has not been a leader on Life. At best, he has been a follower and a donor to garner support for his many campaigns."
But even more disappointing, Marter said, was State Senator Sure Rezin's vote on the ERA amendment last year.
"According to Illinois Stop ERA, this legislation would eliminate all abortion restrictions including those on partial birth abortions, where the baby is all but delivered and then killed before leaving the birth canal. Adding insult to mortal injury, the legislation would force taxpayers to fund these atrocities against their will," Marter said.
Then he pointed to Rezin and Oberweis supporting former Governor Bruce Rauner in his 2018 re-election bid – plus criticism of newcomer Catalina Lauf, who was a paid staffer on Rauner's edgy campaign when being challenged by then-State Rep. Jeanne Ives, a pro-life advocate.
“Fear, waffling and flip-flopping go hand in hand, when you don’t have a firm grasp of what you stand for,” said Marter. “It’s really a sign that your positions are for sale. Mine aren’t.”
The GOP primary will be on March 17th, 2020.
