U.S. House, Illinois 14th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 14th Congressional District?
Lauren Underwood has the strongest record in Illinois's 14th Congressional District. Lauren Underwood scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jim Marter at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Lauren Underwood's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Marter's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Jim Marter
On the ballot as James T. "Jim" Marter
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Lauren Underwood
71 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jim Marter
- Creditbefore 2023
Served as an elected trustee of the Oswego Library District and as chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2023, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
Lauren Underwood
- On the record2021-01
Voted Nay on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- On the record2019-05-22
On May 22, 2019, the House Homeland Security Committee voted 9 to 7 to strike her remark that migrant child deaths in custody were 'intentional'; a committee vote, not a conduct finding (E3).
Sources: NBC News, May 22, 2019, Fox News, May 22, 2019
- Credit2025 to 2026
Held open in-person town halls in DeKalb in April 2025 and August 2026, taking constituent questions.
Sources: WNIJ Northern Public Radio, April 25, 2025, WNIJ Northern Public Radio, Aug. 14, 2026
- Credit2023-2026
Co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Sources: Office site, Biography, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
- Credit2023-08-17
The Congressional Management Foundation named her office a 2023 Democracy Award winner for constituent service.
- Credit2021-11-30
Her Protecting Moms Who Served Act, on maternity care for veterans, was enacted through its Senate companion, signed Nov. 30, 2021.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jim Marter. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 13, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076590, FEC administrative fines search
Lauren Underwood. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 13, 2026; no periodic transaction reports on the Clerk index. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075904, House Committee on Ethics site search for Underwood, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. Voted against the GENIUS Act in 2025 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 and a 2026 FISA extension, each backed by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025 (GENIUS Act), House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026), House Clerk Roll Call 155, 2026 (FISA extension)
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jim Marter. Held an open town hall with audience questions in Hinckley on May 6, 2026. No 2026 general election debate with Underwood found.
Source: Shaw Local, May 9, 2026
Lauren Underwood. Holds open in-person town halls in the district, including DeKalb in April 2025 and an August 2026 series. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: WNIJ Northern Public Radio, Aug. 14, 2026, WNIJ Northern Public Radio, April 25, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jim Marter. Self-employed software consultant with about 35 years in information technology, a former Oswego library trustee and former Kendall County Republican chairman. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2023, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
Lauren Underwood. A nurse and former senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in Congress since 2019. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Lauren Underwood, House Committee on Ethics site search for Underwood
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jim Marter. Served on Oswego's elected library board, a sworn local office, with no official finding of misuse of office.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
Lauren Underwood. Voted Nay on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jim Marter. Prior elected office as an Oswego Library District trustee, former chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party, and a software consultant and business owner.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2023, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
Lauren Underwood. In the U.S. House since January 2019, seeking a fifth term, after work as a nurse and as a senior adviser at HHS.
Sources: GovTrack, Lauren Underwood, Ballotpedia, Lauren Underwood
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jim Marter. Publishes priorities in general terms: cutting spending, reducing waste and fraud, border security and energy.
Source: Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2023
Lauren Underwood. Co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, an elected caucus leadership post (E5), and a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Sources: Office site, Biography, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jim Marter. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, publishes a campaign site and hosts a weekly radio program.
Lauren Underwood. Offers an email newsletter, holds town halls and publishes issue pages on her House site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, WNIJ Northern Public Radio, Aug. 14, 2026, Ballotpedia, Lauren Underwood
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jim Marter. Lives in Oswego, in the district, where he served on the library board. About 37 percent of itemized individual contributions this cycle came from Illinois.
Sources: FEC Form 2, statement of candidacy, Dec. 3, 2024, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 2024, FEC contribution totals by state
Lauren Underwood. Grew up in Naperville, graduating from Neuqua Valley High School, and lives there. About 50 percent of itemized individual contributions this cycle came from Illinois.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Lauren Underwood, Office site, Biography, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jim Marter. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Lauren Underwood. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.472 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.530, meets expectations. GovTrack counts five bills she sponsored as enacted, including the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, signed Nov. 30, 2021.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 958 (117th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. Missed 27 of 3,869 roll call votes, 0.7 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. Runs district offices in DeKalb and Joliet; her office reported 1,118 cases opened and $1.97 million returned in 2023; has held 82 town halls; won CMF's 2023 Democracy Award for constituent service.
Sources: Office site, Offices, Shaw Local Daily Chronicle, Aug. 17, 2023, Shaw Local, July 29, 2026
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.18844 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 370 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jim Marter. No public record found.
Lauren Underwood. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 14th Congressional District?
Lauren Underwood has the strongest record in Illinois's 14th Congressional District. Lauren Underwood scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jim Marter at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Lauren Underwood's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Marter's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Illinois's 14th Congressional District in 2026?
Jim Marter (Republican), Lauren Underwood (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jim Marter a good candidate for Congress?
Jim Marter scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Lauren Underwood a good candidate for Congress?
Lauren Underwood scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Illinois race scored, and the Illinois 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.