Lauren Underwood won · 62.6% to 37.4% · Called by AP on Nov 3
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23 ads analyzed · 16 use a rhetorical technique, most often loaded language and glittering generalities.
James Marter (Republican) and Lauren Underwood (Democrat) are the nominees for Illinois's 14th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. Lauren Underwood is the incumbent. By their latest FEC reports, James Marter's campaign had raised $214,000 (through October 14, 2026) and Lauren Underwood's campaign $2.8 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $61,000 for Lauren Underwood and $0 against. Semblen has analyzed 23 ads in this race; 16 used at least one rhetorical technique, most often loaded language and glittering generalities.
James Marter (REP), Lauren Underwood (DEM, incumbent). 2 others filed with the FEC; any ads they ran are below. 23 ads analyzed, 16 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-23.
From Illinois's official election office. Each line links to the official page it came from.
| Registration | Register by Tue, Oct 6 (Regular registration; online registration open through 2026-10-18; grace-period in-person registration through Election Day.). Same-day registration: Grace period registration and voting, in person at locations set by the local election authority. (passed)Source: elections.il.gov ↗Source: elections.il.gov ↗ |
|---|---|
| Early voting in person | Thu, Sep 24 to Mon, Nov 2 (At election authority offices and designated sites; locations and hours vary by county.) (passed)Source: elections.il.gov ↗ |
| By mail | Anyone can vote by mail; request a ballot by Thu, Oct 29 (Received by mail by this date; in-person applications accepted until 2026-11-02.); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (Postmarked by Election Day and received within 14 days; drop boxes until polls close (7 p.m.).) (passed)Source: elections.il.gov ↗Source: elections.il.gov ↗ |
| Election Day | Tue, Nov 3. Polls: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. (passed)Source: votersguide.elections.il.gov ↗ |
| ID at the polls | No ID for most voters; grace-period registrants and some first-time mail registrants must show two forms of ID.Source: elections.il.gov ↗ |
Checked October 8, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the official site before you go.
A person reads every report and fixes errors the same day.
Paste a campaign text message you’ve received. Semblen marks the persuasion techniques in its wording and lists the factual claims it makes. Take your name out first: what you paste is analyzed and kept like any text.
As of 2026-10-23. Counts are of distinct ads; the same text run many times is one ad.
Reading coverage of this race? Paste the link to see what it uses →
A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
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Each side is the campaign plus the groups backing it. How a group is placed is explained below the table.
| Side | Ads | With at least one technique | Most common |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marter (R) | 16 | 14 of 16 (88%) | Glittering Generalities (9), Loaded Language (8), Name Calling (7) |
| All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side. | |||
| Underwood (D) | 5 | 2 of 5 | Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2) |
| Underwood's campaign | 4 | 2 of 4 | Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2) |
| 1 group backing Underwood | 1 | 0 of 1 | |
| Not placed on a side (2 sponsors) | 2 | 0 of 2 | |
Read this before comparing the sides. Ads that attack an opponent use these techniques far more often than ads that introduce a candidate, whoever runs them, so the side running more attack ads shows a higher share. A technique is about wording, not about whether an ad is true. These are online ads only (Meta and YouTube), not television.
| Paid for by | Side | Ads | With at least one technique | Most common |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARTER FOR CONGRESS | Marterthe campaign | 16 | 14 of 16 (88%) | Glittering Generalities (9), Loaded Language (8), Name Calling (7) |
| LAUREN UNDERWOOD FOR CONGRESS | Underwoodthe campaign | 4 | 2 of 4 | Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2) |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND (CRNA-PAC) | Underwoodreported spending to support Underwood (FEC) | 1 | 0 of 1 | |
| Citizens for Saba Haider | — | 1 | 0 of 1 | |
| Friends of Alex Zapien | — | 1 | 0 of 1 |
How a group is placed: by its own filings with the Federal Election Commission. A group is with a candidate when it reported spending to support that candidate, or to oppose the other one in the general election. The parties' own committees are with their nominee. Spending against a candidate in a primary places a group nowhere, and neither does our reading of its ads: a group with no such filing is listed as not placed. The sponsor table gives the reason for each.
Not everyone would call every technique a problem. Untick the ones you'd call ordinary persuasion and the count updates.
70% of the 23 ads here use at least one of the techniques ticked below (16 ads).
Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 57% of ads.
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
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From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.
23 ads, newest first.
Sharia law has no place in America 🇺🇸 My opponent #LEFTofTheSQUAD Rep. Lauren Underwood works with the radical Jihad SQUAD members Ihan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, even campaigns with them. She won't stand for our Constitution against threats foreign and domestic! Islamists are pushing Sharia law and no go zones for non-muslims in America. Underwood is silent 🤫 and worse.
Quotes language that uses Appeal to Fear. · not counted
Appeal to Prejudice: Sets a religious legal tradition against 'America', implying Muslims or Islam are foreign and do not belong, which plays on distrust of a religious group.
Glittering Generalities: The flag emoji invokes patriotic symbolism as an emotional flourish without substantive argument. Flagged: “🇺🇸”.
My Opponent, #LeftOfTheSQUAD Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood has NO PLAN except to #HATE President Donald Trump, incite violence, and spend #TRILLIONS of your hard-earned wages! #Taxed >>> BTW read my plan below. She claims to have passed a small number of bills, about 2 per year, in nearly a decade in office, Bills she didn't write, special interest and staffers did. None of them did anything for working families, in fact she VOTED for Every Tax increase and Inflation causing budget busting big spending bill brought forth in the House of Representatives mostly by Nancy Pelosi! Let's send #NoPLAN Lauren back home where she can be a nurse for the first time! Donate Link: https://secure.anedot.com/marter-for-congress/myplan Donations by checks can be made to Marter for Congress Post Office Box 271 Oswego, IL 60543 Lauren Underwood has failed: • To denounce anti-American statements and antisemitism by Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib and others. • She Voted against the Laken Riley Act • She Voted against deporting all ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMITTED SEX CRIMES • She Failed, To keep America Safe and secure the border while she served on Homeland Security Committee. • The business community and fueled Inflation on the American Worker with her support of the out-of-control spending in Washington, and the shuttering of our energy sector. My plan is simple. • Protect our rights and Freedoms: STOP the invasion & secure our border; protect our votes, protect parents’ rights for their children in our schools, and women rights in sports. • Set our economy on a firm foundation of growth. Dismantle the Biden era policies, support President Trump, and his policies on energy and lowering inflation, among others. • Help reduce political corruption, and to have a more representative government less focused on special interests and more focused on the people. • Stop out-of-control spending. In Congress, I will be relentless in my efforts to reduce the size and scope of the government, end government waste, fraud, abuse, and work to balance the budget. The Democrat party has moved to the extreme left, Rep. Underwood is one of them. They are big government socialists that threaten your financial security and FREEDOM. This is my appeal for you to donate to my campaign for U.S. Congress. With it comes the promise I will use it wisely and campaign hard every day. Once in U.S. Congress, I’ll work tirelessly for you and the people, because our state and nation deserve it. We must have better leadership and with your help, I’ll do my part to provide it. I am running for US CONGRESS to protect LIFE, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I will defend our values, to SAVE America and the America Dream. Thank you for your consideration, Jim Marter 14th Congressional District Republican Nominee for US CONGRESS Donate Link: https://secure.anedot.com/marter-for-congress/myplan Phone: (815) 585-8006 e-mail: [email protected] FB: Marter for Congress Website: www.Marter4Congress.US Marter for Congress (make check payable to and send) Post Office Box 271 Oswego, IL 60543
Quotes language that uses Name Calling. · not counted
Quotes language that uses Appeal to Fear. · not counted
Loaded Language: Frames immigration as an 'invasion' to trigger an emotional reaction rather than convey facts.
Glittering Generalities: Uses vague, positive-sounding words like 'rights and Freedoms' without specifics.
When you support open borders, oppose ICE, support sanctuary cities and states, you support murderers, human traffickers, rapist, drug runners, and gangbangers! #LEFTofTheSQUAD Rep. Lauren Underwood supports all of the above. Time to make America 🇺🇸 and Illinois SAFE AGAIN! #VoteSmarter #Marter4Congress #UnseatUnderwood #Flip14th #AmericaFirst
Loaded Language: Uses emotionally charged criminal labels to provoke outrage rather than convey facts. Flagged: “murderers, human traffickers, rapist, drug runners, and gangbangers”.
Name Calling: Labels people holding certain immigration policy positions as supporters of violent criminals to discredit them. Flagged: “you support murderers, human traffickers, rapist, drug runners, and gangbangers”.
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: Overstates that opposing ICE or supporting sanctuary policies equals supporting all violent criminals. Flagged: “you support murderers, human traffickers, rapist, drug runners, and gangbangers”.
Black-and-White Fallacy: Presents policy positions as a binary that automatically equals backing criminals, ignoring nuance. Flagged: “When you support open borders, oppose ICE, support sanctuary cities and states, you support murderers”.
Appeal to Fear: Implies America and Illinois are currently unsafe, evoking anxiety about danger and calling for action. Flagged: “SAFE AGAIN!”.
Glittering Generalities: Uses a vague, emotionally positive slogan with flag imagery and no specific policy content. Flagged: “make America 🇺🇸 and Illinois SAFE AGAIN”.
Lauren Underwood won. Get what Lauren Underwood says in office by email, analyzed for rhetorical techniques, once sworn in. And an email if the result changes: a recount or a call reversed. One-click unsubscribe.
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Fighting for affordable healthcare isn't just a slogan. In Lockport Township, I worked to create free programs to support our community's mental, physical, and senior health because no one should have to choose between their well-being and their wallet. It’s the same commitment Congresswoman Lauren Underwood shows every day, and I’m honored to have her endorsement for Will County Board. Now, let’s bring that same fight to the county level and build a healthier future for all of us.
Lauren Underwood is working to lower costs, cancel student debt, and increase the Pell Grant. See Early Voting locations & hours: 📍IWillVote.com/IL
My November opponent is Democrat #LEFTofTheSQUAD Rep. Lauren Underwood. 2026 is the best chance to end her political career in Washington DC. She’s been tagged by the DNC to flip the U.S. House of Representatives from RED to BLUE. We can’t let her do it and we can send a National Shockwave by sending her packing in January 2027. My race, objectively, is the #1 opportunity in Illinois to flip a seat from dark BLUE to bright RED, it’s a race with National significance! Illinois Governor who wants to be President, #BILLIONAIRE #KING JB Pritzker called Underwood "Damaged Goods"! We know she supports the Dangerous policies of the D.S.A. "Democrat Socialist of America"! **Sources: Pritzker team aims to stop Dem from Senate run – NBC Chicago She also supports the Dangerous policies of C.A.I.R. "Council on American Islamic Relations" and will not stand against them or ban SHARIA Law! Is she owned by the Muslim Brotherhood? ** U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson both appeared at CAIR Chicago’s 23rd Annual Banquet on Sunday, September 20, 2026 www.cairchicago.org 2026 is our time, we can do this together and I need your support to help me and my team drive voter turnout in the neighborhoods throughout my district. We need your help to get out our message! Donate at: https://secure.anedot.com/marter-for-congress/myplan Checks can be made out and sent to: Marter for Congress, PO Box 271, Oswego IL 60543 For questions call: (815) 585-8006
Loaded Language: The emotionally charged word 'Dangerous' is used to frame the policies as a threat rather than to describe them.
Name Calling: The candidate is discredited by association with a labeled ideological group instead of by engaging with her actual positions. Flagged: “supports the Dangerous policies of the D.S.A.”.
Appeal to Fear: It presents Sharia law as a looming threat that she refuses to ban, which stokes anxiety about it. Flagged: “will not stand against them or ban SHARIA Law!”.
Appeal to Prejudice: It plays on distrust of Muslims by linking her to Islamic law and organizations as a menace. Flagged: “ban SHARIA Law”.
Conspiracy Appeal: The rhetorical question implies she is secretly controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, with no evidence offered. Flagged: “Is she owned by the Muslim Brotherhood?”.
Rep. Lauren Underwood is working harder for Democratic Socialists than she is for our district! Share the video - Let's get this to go viral! Voters need to know! She's traveling the USA ignoring our home Illinois 14th Congressional District. #Marter4Congress #AmericaFirst #UnseatUnderwood #Flipthe14th House Republicans House Freedom Caucus Will County Republican Central Committee Wheatland Township Republican Organization Putnam County Illinois Republicans Bureau County Republican Party The LaSalle County Republican Party LaSalle County Republican Women DeKalb Illinois Issues DeKalb County Republican Central Committee Kendall County Republicans Kane County GOP Kane County Republican Women Kane County Young Republicans Kane County Speaks Kane County GOP Candidate Recruitment and Training TPUSA Faith- Kane County IL
Name Calling: Uses the 'Democratic Socialists' label to discredit the representative by association rather than addressing any specific action.
Bandwagon Appeal: Urges people to share so the video spreads widely, pressuring participation through crowd momentum. Flagged: “Let's get this to go viral!”.
Red tape delays care and drives up costs. Lauren Underwood is cutting through it for Illinois families.
I will #STAND and #FIGHT to protect our 2nd Amendment! "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." I was out doing my part today being a well regulated militia member and putting in practice time with a now Adult Eagle Scout, who I was a leader and merit badge counselor for between ten to fifteen years ago, and is now a certified Range Safety Officer (RSO), the Student became the teacher and vice versa! Gunrights4illinois Member: Guns Save Life Gun Owners of America NRA - National Rifle Association of America Illinois State Rifle Association
Glittering Generalities: Uses a vague, emotionally positive rallying pledge about protecting a cherished right without any specific policy content. Flagged: “#STAND and #FIGHT to protect our 2nd Amendment”.
Transfer: Invokes the Constitution's authority and symbolic weight to legitimize the political stance. Flagged: “our 2nd Amendment”.
Reminder folks, sitting Congresswoman Lauren Underwood said that "We cannot let him (Jim) win here in Illinois 14th District"! A bit pretentious, don't you think? Her aim is to control you! Lauren has attempted to label me and to tag me with her Lies and name calling, it is all she has! The GREEN checks in 1st image are the counter points to her "unhinged ad" against me! #BILLIONAIRE #KING JB Pritzker called her "Damaged Goods"! We know she supports the Dangerous policies of the D.S.A. "Democrat Socialist of America"! She also supports the Dangerous policies of C.A.I.R. "Council on American‐Islamic Relations" and will not stand against them or ban SHARIA Law! Is she owned by the Muslim Brotherhood? ** U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson both appeared at CAIR‐Chicago’s 23rd Annual Banquet on Sunday, September 20, 2026 www.cairchicago.org
Name Calling: Labels the Congresswoman 'pretentious' to discredit her rather than address her argument.
Appeal to Fear: Suggests a threat of being controlled by the politician to provoke anxiety and hostility. Flagged: “Her aim is to control you!”.
Loaded Language: Emotionally charged claim about motive ('control you') in place of factual argument.
Appeal to Prejudice: Demanding a ban on 'SHARIA Law' and tying her to an Islamic organization plays on distrust of Muslims as a religious group.
Conspiracy Appeal: Insinuates via a loaded question that she is secretly controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, implying a hidden actor. Flagged: “Is she owned by the Muslim Brotherhood?”.
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