Oberweis To Contest Underwood's Victory In Congress

ILLINOIS — Days after a discovery recount in DuPage County found no changes in the Illinois 14th District race in DuPage County, Republican challenger Jim Oberweis filed a "Notice of Election Contest" in the United States House of Representatives.

The Associated Press projected Rep. Lauren Underwood as the race's victor in mid-November. Shortly after, Oberweis attended an orientation for new Congress members.

Election results showed Underwood with 203,209 votes and Oberweis with 197,835 votes, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Oberweis declared victory shortly after the election, despite a number of mail-in ballots that were outstanding at the time. The entrepreneur and former state senator later petitioned for a discovery recount in DuPage County.

"I am confident of the results of the recounts, just as I am confident of the results that were certified last month," DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek said in a news release.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Oberweis is aiming to void more than 39,000 ballots filed in Kane County, asserting that election judges did not initial them correctly.

The 14th District has precincts in seven counties throughout Illinois.

Oberweis said in a statement, "The Notice of Contest is the next step in a very long and complicated process. Congress has jurisdiction of contested Congressional Election results. What we are asking them to do is look at the evidence we provided and render the certified election results null and void and authorize a new election on April 6, 2021. We provided clear evidence of voting irregularities and hopefully the House of Representatives will do the right thing."

Andra Bellknap, a spokesperson for Rep. Underwood told Patch in a statement, "Regardless of Mr. Oberweis' legal bluster, the results of this election will not change. Congresswoman Underwood was sworn into the 117th Congress on January 3rd and remains focused on the work the people of the 14th District elected her to do."