Rotering concedes in 10th, paving way for Schneider-Dold rematch

SHARE Rotering concedes in 10th, paving way for Schneider-Dold rematch
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10th District Rep. Brad Schneider has endorsed Daniel Biss for governor. | Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Former Rep. Brad Schneider declared Tuesday night that he was the Democrat who won the right to take on Republican incumbent Bob Dold in November.

And on Wednesday, primary rival Nancy Rotering agreed.

After all the voters were tallied, it became clear that north suburban Democrats had chosen Schneider, who has tussled with Dold twice before, to try to turn the recently red seat blue again in the 10th Congressional District.

Schneider, a 54-year-old management consultant from Deerfield, bested Rotering, mayor of Highland Park, with 54 percent of the vote, with all 411 precincts in Cook and Lake counties reporting.

Iran, a major issue to a large Jewish population in their district that champions Israel’s security, was the biggest divide between the two candidates. Schneider’s public opposition to the president’s Iran agreement cost him the support of several major Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

But before every last precinct had been counted, Schneider had declared victory Tuesday night at his campaign party in Deerfield as well as on Twitter: “Onward to victory November! #IL10”

But Rotering, who promoted herself as the solution to what she had called “a lack of courageous leadership” in the 10th, was not ready to concede defeat in the race on which she had already lent herself at least $345,000.

She had said she would wait for all the votes to come in. Nor did the candidates speak to each other Tuesday night, according to the two campaigns.

By Wednesday morning, Rotering changed her mind and conceded.

“After the results were tallied this morning, I called Brad Schneider and congratulated him on his victory,” Rotering emailed to supporters.

Schneider, a married father of two sons, had won the 10th Congressional District seat in 2012, beating Dold; but he then lost to Dold in 2014.

November’s contest in the independent-minded north suburban district, which has flip-flopped in recent years, is expected to draw millions in outside money as Schneider faces Dold.

As of February 24, the last available campaign finance reports showed Schneider had raised more than $1.7 million for the primary but had just $300,000 left in cash on hand. Dold, who faced no primary challenger, was still sitting on $1.6 million as of late February.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had already named Schneider to its “Red to Blue” list of candidates it thinks can win seats from sitting Republicans.

The 10th District stretches up the North Shore from Winnetka through Waukegan to the Wisconsin line, west as far as Fox Lake and encompasses Mundelein, Buffalo Grove and parts of Mount Prospect and Des Plaines.

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