Democrat Schneider has a district drawn in his favor but an underfunded campaign [Chicago Tribune]
By Dan Hinkel and Joseph Ryan, Chicago Tribune | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The Democrat from
"The debate that immediately took place -- (defunding) Planned Parenthood," Schneider said. "I said, 'We've got these big problems, and we're just not getting the solutions we need.'"
Emerging from a four-way March primary, the wealthy first-time candidate now faces the tall task of introducing himself to
Schneider hasn't gotten as much help from national Democrats as other suburban congressional candidates, but he does have the advantage of running in a
Though he's never held office, Schneider was familiar with politics from working with pro-
Schneider worked to sway legislators as a volunteer with the
"I think whenever you can get a person who has a strong private-sector background but also has an appreciation for the nuance of governance ... I think that's a good thing," said Bean, who is now president and CEO of the
Schneider first had to spend campaign cash, including some of his own, to win a primary. Starting the stretch run, Dold had almost 10 times as much in his political fund. Outside groups have spent four times as much on Dold's behalf compared with Schneider's candidacy, according to federal campaign finance records.
One of the prime areas of attack is against Schneider's resume. He's billed himself as a successful small businessman. Though Schneider's work history and financial records show a decades-long business career, he has taken on few paying ventures in recent years. Dold said Schneider's claim to recent business success is an "embellishment."
Schneider now has a one-man consulting company and an investment firm.
The candidate said he's looking for the right company to partner with for the long haul. In the short term, Schneider said, he can live off income from the long careers enjoyed by him and his wife,
It's impossible to pinpoint Schneider's financial situation because he has refused to make his tax returns public, unlike his opponent. Schneider said his wife's income is irrelevant to the race and argued that his candidate disclosure report adequately details his finances.
The disclosure report details scores of investments spanning from mutual funds to north suburban apartment complexes. The report shows the Schneider family has assets valued between
Building permits show the Schneiders spent
On the campaign trail, Schneider tells voters he would be guided in
"I'm not coming with a book of plans, like I have the answers to all of our problems," he said.
Schneider has painted Dold as a lock-step Republican vote, but the challenger has struggled to name positions on which he disagrees with Democratic leaders. Asked to name where he breaks with party leadership, Schneider answered that he hoped to lead Democrats on spurring hiring by small businesses, including with incentives to hire and train employees.
That led Dold to say, "If we're looking for the partisanship to happen, he's your guy." Schneider said he would look for good ideas from both parties and lives his life by "a moderate tone."
National Republicans have slapped at Schneider's stance on Bush-era tax cuts. Before the primary, Schneider said during a "Chicago Tonight" debate on WTTW that he would let all the tax cuts expire. Later, Schneider said he would only allow the cuts to expire for those making more than
Schneider chalked it up to his status as a political rookie.
"I certainly could have been more artful about how I said it and I'm getting better at framing," he said. "I've never advocated for raising taxes on working middle-class families."
[email protected][email protected]
Party: Democrat
Current job: Managing principal,
Age: 51
Born in:
Lives in:
Personal: Married to
Education: Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering,
Previous positions: Life insurance agency owner
Campaign website: schneiderforcongress.com
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