Rep. Bob Dold Will Tackle National Opioid Problem in GOP's Weekly Address

Rep. Bob Dold will discuss the country's growing problem with opioid addiction during the Republican's weekly address Saturday, according to a congressional press release.

"As a co-chair of the Suburban Anti-Heroin Task Force in Illinois, I’ve seen firsthand the unimaginable suffering that heroin has brought onto families in our community and around the country," Rep. Dold said in the release. "Heroin doesn’t discriminate by demographics, zip code, or partisanship, which is why we can’t let politics get in the way of helping people in our communities who are struggling with addiction find the treatment they need to get their lives back on track."

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The weekly address will be available online at 6 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan's website.

Dold is currently embroiled in a 10th Congressional District campaign that could shape up to be one of the most expensive races in the country, the Daily North Shore reports. Currently, incumbent Dold and his Democratic opponent, former Rep. Brad Schneider have raised more than $5 million between the two of them—about $2.8 million for Dold and about $2.2 million for Schneider. Experts are projecting the race will generate more than $8 million, the North Shore reports.

Dold and Schneider are old political 10th district sparring partners and haven't been afraid of spending money on their campaigns in the past. The following is a break down of how much was spent on the two previous races between Dold and Schneider, according to the Daily North Shore:

2012

• Total Spent: about $14.8 million
• Winner: Dold

2014

• Total Spent: about $18 million
• Winner: Schneider

Currently, Schneider is ahead of Dold by about 9 points in an April 7 poll by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Schneider also scored better than Dold among likely voters in a recent survey. Of those surveyed, 42 percent favored Schneider, compared to 33 percent favoring Dold.

More via the Daily North Shore

PHOTO: Rep. Bob Dold (Patch.com)