by Russell Lissau, Daily Herald
A Lake Forest resident has announced he'll try to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield.
Joe Severino, the founder and president of a private investment company, is the first Republican in the race for Schneider's 10th Congressional District seat.
Although Severino revealed his campaign to the media this week, he launched a campaign Facebook page in 2020 and has been meeting with community and political groups for months.
Severino's campaign website lists problems with the U.S. supply chain, high energy prices and crime among his priorities.
The website also incorrectly accuses the government of "targeting concerned parents as domestic terrorists." Although that claim has been oft-repeated by conservatives on social media and in traditional media, no federal agency or official has made that blanket statement about parents.
Schneider is in his fourth term in the U.S. House. He won the post in 2012, lost it in 2014, reclaimed it in 2016 and has held the job since.
Democrats Andrew Wang and Kim Nowak also have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission indicating they plan to challenge Schneider in their party's primary on June 28.
For the last decade, the 10th District has included much of Lake County and a portion of suburban Cook County. But congressional district boundaries are shifting this year based on population changes revealed by the 2020 U.S. census and political factors.
Moving forward, the 10th District will include part of McHenry County, too. The new boundaries will last until the 2032 election.