Election Results 2016: Brad Schneider Unseats Bob Dold in 10th Congressional District

Former Illinois 10th District United States Congressman Brad Schneider is also the future Illinois 10th District United States Congressman after defeating incumbent Bob Dold in a tight race Tuesday night.

The Associated Press and others report Schneider, a Democrat from Deerfield, tallied 147,299 votes. Dold, a Republican from Kenilworth, tallied 133,383.

Dold was leading in Lake County for most of the night, but a late surge by Schneider pushed him over the top.

Schneider had the edge in Cook County, while Dold carried Lake County.

Earlier reports:

10 p.m.:

LAKE COUNTY: Brad Schneider (DEM), 60,447, 47.74%; Robert Dold (REP), 66,165, 52.26% (All 309 precincts reporting)

COOK COUNTY: Schneider: 52.72%, 32,118; Dold: 47.28%, 28,801

8:04 p.m.: With more than 100,000 votes accounted for from Lake County, Dold has a 54,101 to 47,592 lead over Schneider.

7:29 p.m.: Results from Lake County, 4 of 309 precincts reporting: Bob Dold has 713 votes. Brad Schneider has 670. That's a 51 percent to 48 percent lead for Dold.

Original story, posted Nov. 1, 2016:

In what is expected to be one of the closest elections in Chicagoland next week and one of the tightest involving a United States Congressional District across the nation, incumbent Bob Dold takes on challenger Brad Schneider in the race for Illinois’ 10th Congressional District.

Dold, a Republican from Kenilworth, is the incumbent having served in the current role since 2014. He previously held the same post from 2010-2012. Dold was a small business owner before he held public office.

Schneider, a Democrat from Deerfield, is a former 10th District Congress representative having served from 2012-2014. He has a background in consulting.

The 2016 race marks the third consecutive election cycle that pits Dold against Schneider in the 10th District. Schneider won in 2012. Dold won in 2014.

Schneider defeated Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering in the Democratic primary this year before facing Dold.

Both Dold and Schneider answered the same general questions for Patch last week, touching on the qualities of the 10th District and endorsements for President and Illinois’ United States Senator.

Patch: What is the most important issue facing residents of the 10th District?

Dold: Over the last two years, I’ve partnered with local leaders and community organizations to hold nearly 1,000 events in our community, including dozens of town halls and five job fairs. The message I hear over and over is that the number one issue for the people in our community is still the economy.

We have broken through the gridlock to make progress on some important economic issues. We acted to ensure small businesses and families have the tax certainty they need to create a budget. We also secured the first long-term investment in infrastructure in more than a decade, which will directly impact our local highways and trains. Locally, we helped recruit new businesses to our area that are already creating good-paying jobs.

Critical to improving our economy is expanding opportunity for everyone in our community, not just a select few. This means tackling the big challenges, like helping lift individuals out of poverty, controlling our national debt, reducing taxes, passing immigration reform, improving our schools and addressing the student loan debt crisis. I have introduced and supported numerous bills to address these issues, and I will continue to advocate for them as your representative in Congress.

Schneider: The most important issue in our district is building an economy that works for all of us, not just the fortunate few. We need to grow our economy from the middle-out, not by giving more breaks to those at the top, because every working family should be able to afford a roof over their heads and access to quality education and healthcare. Increasingly, higher education is the key to a successful career and we cannot continue to burden our graduates just starting their working lives under mountains of debt.

Patch: Why would District residents be in better hands with you as their representative rather than your opponent?

Dold: Our community deserves a thoughtful, independent and effective leader that is dedicated to bringing people together and finding positive solutions for our families and local economy. As a small business owner and the father of three young children, my top priority is making our community safe, healthy and strong.
I take tremendous pride in the fact that I’ve consistently been ranked among the most bipartisan, independent and effective Members of Congress. I’ve worked hard to bring people together and advance proposals that make a difference in the 10th District. Among the successes have been bipartisan bills signed into law to improve education, spur small business growth, promote medical research, protect seniors from Medicare cuts, and improve our transportation infrastructure.

What excites me about this campaign is that voters have an opportunity to directly compare my record of effective, independent leadership with the partisan record of my opponent, who was rated among the least effective Members of Congress.

While he floods the airwaves with dishonesty about his record and mine, I am focused on advancing bipartisan solutions that are needed to help move our country forward. That’s why I’ve been endorsed by every nonpartisan organization that’s taken a look at our race -- including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Herald, and the Chicago Jewish Star -- and it’s also why he’s been called out for lying about my record by organizations across the political spectrum, from the Human Rights Campaign to the Washington Post.

Our community deserves a thoughtful leader that is dedicated to bringing people together. I promise to continue to be a forceful, independent and effective voice for our district.

Schneider: My priorities better match the values of the people of our district. Since my first campaign, I have been consistent, fighting to grow our economy for everyone, promote equality, protect a woman’s right to choose, defend our environment, and ensure Social Security and Medicare are strong for future generations.

The people of the district know that they can count on me to vote in a way that represents their values, and that, unlike my opponent, I will do so regardless of which way the the political winds are blowing.

Patch: What is the first change or movement you would champion as a member of the United States Congress?

Dold: I am running to continue representing the 10th District because the stakes are too high to fall back on ineffective leadership, partisan politics and empty rhetoric. My track record as one of the most independent and bipartisan Members of Congress proves that I will work tirelessly, with both Democrats and Republicans, to tackle the difficult issues we face.

There’s still far too much partisan gridlock and much more that needs to be done. We absolutely need legislation to reduce gun violence, reform our broken immigration system, increase job opportunities in our community, improve our education system and more. That’s why I have stood up to both parties when they are wrong and worked with both parties when they are right.

The bottom line is that if anything is going to get done, we are going to need effective, bipartisan leadership. We know we can accomplish great things when we work together and commit to changing a fundamentally broken Washington.

Schneider: I’ve often said that if I could pass one piece of legislation, it would be comprehensive immigration reform. This legislation would grow our economy and lower our debt. And it would bring more than 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadow to fully participate in our society. It is beyond frustrating to watch the Republican leadership in Congress continue to block this legislation which I believe would pass overwhelmingly if they would simply allow a vote. I will only support a candidate for Speaker of the House who commits to bringing comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship, to a vote in the next Congress, and I call on my opponent to make the same pledge.

Patch: Do you endorse any candidate for President of the United States this year?

Dold: Like millions of Americans, I am not supporting either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Our country needs a leader who will unite us, rather than divide us, and who will serve with honesty, integrity and compassion. When I was growing up, my parents gave me a plaque that said “integrity determines your identity.” This is a lesson that I’ve kept in mind every single day serving the people of the 10th District.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that either of the major party nominees this year have demonstrated an ability to provide that kind of leadership. That’s why I believe it is so important to send independent and thoughtful leaders to Congress. My track record as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress demonstrates that I will stand up to either party when I think that they are wrong and work with either party when I believe it is in the best interest of the people I represent.

Schneider: I endorse Hillary Clinton for President and support her agenda which focuses on growing our economy to benefit the middle class, lowering the cost of education, tackling climate change, and finally making progress on immigration reform and commonsense gun safety legislation.

The stakes of this election are higher than any in my lifetime and I truly believe Donald Trump’s campaign of divisiveness and hatred represents an unrivaled threat to our democratic system. The consequences of this election go beyond partisanship and Hillary Clinton is the only person standing between Donald Trump and the Oval Office. It is unacceptable that my opponent has campaigned against Hillary Clinton, including headlining a fundraiser to “Beat Hillary” for an organization that supports Donald Trump.

Patch: Do you endorse any candidate in the race for United States Senator in Illinois this year?

Dold: During my time in Congress with Senator Mark Kirk, we’ve worked together to introduce bipartisan legislation to protect the environment, strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, combat the hateful agenda of the anti-Israel BDS movement, and confront Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Our bipartisan Great Lakes Water Protection Act is much needed legislation to protect Lake Michigan from sewage dumping. As a Scoutmaster, I teach Boy Scouts the principle of leaving areas better than when we found them. The Great Lakes Water Protection Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution to fulfill this pledge with one of our country’s greatest natural resources.

We also worked together to introduce the Combatting BDS Act of 2016. The BDS movement serves as a means to delegitimize Israel’s existence. Our legislation seeks to counter the hateful targeting of Israel, while sending an unquestionable message about our strong support for those who stand up for Israel.

Senator Kirk has been an incredible champion on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and his leadership in bringing crippling sanctions on Iran is unmatched. I hope to continue to work with him on these important issues after he is re-elected as United States Senator for Illinois.

Schneider: I endorse Tammy Duckworth. I witnessed her dedication to public service and determination as a colleague in the House of Representatives and I know she will be a fantastic United States Senator for Illinois.

Patch: What are the best qualities of the people of the 10th District?

Dold: The 10th District is incredibly special and unique. It’s home to thriving suburbs, great companies of all sizes, some of the best schools in the entire state and a transportation hub at the center of the nation. With so many natural advantages, it's no surprise that such a diverse and inspiring group of people choose to call our district home.

I’ve been at work all across the 10th District for the better part of the last decade listening and learning from the people in our communities, and I’ve worked every day to amplify their unique perspectives in the United States Congress. This experience has made one thing perfectly clear: we can’t make any progress without working together.

For decades, the 10th District has spoken with a thoughtful and independent voice that is not beholden to party lines. The people of the 10th District understand that people are so much more important than politics. That philosophy drives the decisions I make every day. Thank you for the opportunity to continue representing you in Congress. It is truly the greatest honor of my lifetime.

Schneider: The Tenth District is a wonderfully diverse district, stretching from Cook County’s northern suburbs along Lake Michigan to the Wisconsin border and as far west as Fox Lake. Elections in the Tenth District are always close, and this one will be no different. Residents here take voting seriously and choose to put country ahead of partisanship, which is one reason why voters of all parties are overwhelmingly lining up to stop Donald Trump by voting for Hillary Clinton.