Navy veteran announces 2020 run to unseat Lauren Underwood
Constituent alleges voting misconduct by Underwood
A U.S. Navy veteran and Naperville resident announced he will be running to unseat Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, the day after she was sworn into Congress.
Republican Matt Quigley, 32, held a press conference Friday in front of the Will County Courthouse in Joliet to make the formal announcement. He also accused Underwood of improperly voting during the 2016 primary election.
Quigley introduced Stephen Youhanaie, a resident of the 14th district, who said he requested documents from the Will County Clerk’s Office and the District of Columbia Board of Elections under the Freedom of Information Act. He distributed copies of the documents which, he said, show that while Underwood was registered to vote in D.C. and in Will County, she voted via an absentee ballot in Will County during the 2016 primary while living in and voting multiple times in D.C.
“I’m here to ensure the truth is known,” Quigley said.
Youhanaie said he filed a complaint to the Illinois Board of Elections. Will County State’s Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Carole Cheney confirmed the Illinois Board of Elections is investigating the matter. She said the board will present its findings to the state’s attorney’s office for review.
Quigley also talked about his background, being deployed in the Middle East while he was in the Navy and being an entrepreneur. He said he supports stopping “endless war” when asked about President Donald Trump’s decision to pull troops out of Syria and Afghanistan, although he would want to see an effective plan in which other countries in the area put in their own troops to help fight as U.S. forces move out.
“I want to see us pull back as much as possible,” Quigley said. “We do not need to nation build around the planet.”
He said he also wants to rebuild the military and secure the country’s borders. He said he supports free market economics and wants to improve price transparency in the health care sector and allow insurance companies to sell across state lines. Quigley said two of the big areas where he can work with Democrats is with investing in infrastructure and education. Specifically, he wants to see student loan reform.
Underwood failed to respond to a request for comment.
