At Kenosha rally, Trump praises Jim Oberweis, who’s challenging Lauren Underwood in Illinois 14 Congress bid

WASHINGTON — GOP House hopeful Jim Oberweis, challenging freshman Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood — and cementing himself to President Donald Trump’s coattails — crossed the border to Wisconsin to pick up a bit of praise from Trump at a Kenosha rally on Monday night.

Trump called Oberweis a “wonderful candidate,” adding, “I heard you are doing very well, good, very good” and predicted he was going to win.

Trump also gave a shout-out to Rep. Darin LaHood, the Illinois Republican who is a co-chair of the Trump Illinois campaign.

The crowd at one point was chanting, “Save Illinois.”

The cross-border move hours before the polls open has some logic. The sprawling 14th Congressional District hugs the Chicago outer suburbs up to the Wisconsin border and sweeps in part of Lake County. Antioch, in the district, is only about 22 miles from Kenosha.

Trump’s team “reached out and asked if he wanted to do it,” said Oberweis spokesman Travis Akin.

Trump is making his second visit to Kenosha, with the first in September after the police shooting of the Evanston-raised Jacob Blake and the explosive demonstrations that followed. Trump used the visit to talk about law-and-order while ignoring the systemic racism issues that fueled the peaceful protests.

Oberweis is closing his campaign hitting Underwood on law and order, seeking to portray her as soft on crime. He takes a snippet of a statement she made to the Sun-Times editorial board over pictures of fires on the Kenosha streets to create the false impression she thinks destructive riots are “peaceful protests.”

Travis said Oberweis heading to Wisconsin was a worthwhile use of campaign time because the Oberweis campaign expected many Illinois Trump supporters from the nearby 14th Congressional District to attend the rally.

The flip side of that is that Illinois voters at a rally in battleground Wisconsin does nothing for Trump, who spoke to thousands at the Kenosha Regional Airport rally.

Trump’s last full day of campaigning against Joe Biden is taking him to Fayetteville, N.C., Avoca, Pa., Traverse City, Mich., Kenosha, Wis., and Grand Rapids, Mich., with rallies in these swing states. Illinois voters have seen no general election presidential action because Illinois is seen as a heavily Democratic safe state for Biden.

This is the third time in recent days that Trump has tried to turn out the vote for Oberweis. Trump headlined a tele-rally on Thursday evening for Oberweis.

It was arranged at the last minute. The campaign did not publicize the Thursday evening event nor did it seek press coverage.

Oberweis late last month landed a sought-after endorsement from Trump.

Trump said in a Tweet, Oberweis “will be a terrific Congressman for Illinois! A successful businessman, he will Create Jobs, Lower Taxes, Defend Law & Order, and Protect your Second Amendment from the Radical Left. Jim has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Underwood, 34, is a Naperville resident; Jim Oberweis, 74, lives in Sugar Grove.

The suburban and rural 14th Congressional District hugs the Chicago outer suburbs up to the Wisconsin border and includes parts of Lake, McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, Kendall, DuPage, and Will Counties.