Bradley Scott Schneider (born August 20, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who is the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 10th congressional district since 2017 and from 2013 to 2015. The district includes many of Chicago‘s northern suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area. Its most populous city is Waukegan, an industrial suburb on Lake Michigan.

Before he was elected to Congress, Schneider worked as a management consultant and industrial engineer in Deerfield, Illinois. A member of the Democratic Party, Schneider was first elected in 2012, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Bob Dold. In 2014, he lost his bid for reelection to Dold. He defeated Dold two years later in their third consecutive matchup. He has since been reelected three times by large margins.

Early life, education and career

Schneider was born on August 20, 1961,[1][2] in Denver, Colorado, where he graduated from Cherry Creek High School.[3] In 1983, after receiving a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Northwestern University, Schneider worked on a kibbutz in Israel. He later returned to the Chicago area to receive a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1988, and worked for the consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers.[4][5]

Schneider worked as the managing principal of the life insurance firm Davis Dann Adler Schneider, LLC, from 1997 until 2003, when he became the director of the strategic services group at Blackman Kallick. In 2008, he started his own consulting company, Cadence Consulting Group.[6][7]

U.S House of Representatives

Elections

2012

Schneider defeated Ilya Sheyman, John Tree, and Vivek Bavda in the Democratic primary election on March 20, 2012, with 47% of the vote.[8] He faced incumbent Republican Robert Dold in the November 6 general election. The nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report declared the 10th district election “Leans Democrat” while Roll Call categorized the race as a toss-up.[9][10] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee placed significant focus on the race as part of their Red to Blue Program.[11] Schneider defeated Dold by 3,326 votes, 51%-49%.[12][13]

2014

Schneider ran for reelection. Dold was again the Republican nominee. As of July 2014, Schneider’s campaign had $1.9 million cash on hand and Dold’s $1.65 million.[14] Schneider was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee‘s Frontline program, a program designed to protect the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents.[15]

Schneider was endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters[16] and Planned Parenthood.[17]

Dold won the election.

2016

2016 campaign logo

In March 2016, Schneider won the Democratic nomination for the 10th district seat, defeating Nancy Rotering, the mayor of Highland Park. Dold ran for reelection.[18] Schneider defeated Dold by 13,916 votes, 52%-48%.[19]

2018

Schneider ran for reelection. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary election. Dold did not run again; business consultant Douglas Bennett narrowly won the Republican nomination against doctor Sapan Shah and attorney Jeremy Wynes.[20] Parting ways with the district’s reputation as a swing district, that year it was considered “Solid Democrat.”[21] Schneider was reelected.

Tenure

Schneider campaigned as a moderate Democrat,[22][23][24][25] and often described himself as a progressive.[26][27][28] He has described himself as “pragmatic and a moderate.”[7]

Schneider voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[29]

Abortion

Schneider has said he is “100 percent pro-choice”, and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. He co-sponsored a bill to reverse the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and require employers to offer “a full range” of contraceptive options.[30]

Environment

Schneider supports EPA carbon emission standards for power plants.[31] In his 2012 primary race, he supported emissions trading, incentives for businesses to develop alternative energy systems, and tax credits for individuals to implement sustainable and renewable energy improvements in their homes.[32]

Foreign policy

Schneider supports “broad and deep” sanctions on Iran and covert operations to dissuade Iran from its nuclear weapons program, as well as its sales to terrorist organizations.[33] He is a longtime member of AIPAC.[34][35]

In February 2023, Schneider signed a letter advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.[36]

Guns

In March 2021, Schneider and Representative Adriano Espaillat proposed legislation to regulate privately made firearms. This was pitched as an effort to curb gun violence.[37]

Health care

Schneider supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama, and opposes repeal.[38] He voted for a bill to increase enrollment transparency.[39][40]

LGBT issues

Schneider supports same-sex marriage.[41]

Tax policy

Schneider told the Chicago Tribune that he favors a 3:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax increases in order to reduce the debt. He said he is open to cuts in discretionary, defense, and entitlement spending.[33] Schneider supported the repeal of the Bush tax cuts and “long-term, comprehensive tax reform” that includes higher taxes on high incomes.[42]

Privacy

Schneider voted against the Amash–Conyers Amendment, a bill “that would have stopped the surveillance programs of the NSA”.[43]

Minimum wage

Schneider co-sponsored a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.[43]

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[44]

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

Illinois 10th Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2012[47]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider 15,530 46.88
DemocraticIlya Sheyman12,76738.54
DemocraticJohn Tree2,9388.87
DemocraticVivek Bavda1,8815.68
DemocraticAloys Rutagwibira80.02
Total votes33,124 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2012[48]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider 133,890 50.63
RepublicanRobert Dold (incumbent)130,56449.37
Total votes264,454 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2014[49]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanRobert Dold 95,992 51.30
DemocraticBrad Schneider (incumbent)91,13648.70
Total votes187,128 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2016[50]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider 50,916 53.73
DemocraticNancy Rotering43,84246.27
Total votes94,758 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2016[51]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider 150,435 52.60
RepublicanRobert Dold (incumbent)135,53547.39
Write-in votesJoseph William Kopsick260.01
Total votes285,996 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2018[52]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider (incumbent) 156,540 65.59
RepublicanDouglas R. Bennett82,12434.41
Total votes238,664 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2020[53]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider (incumbent) 202,402 63.87
RepublicanValerie Ramirez Mukherjee114,44236.12
IndependentJoseph W. Kopsick180.01
IndependentDavid Rych120.01
Total votes316,874 100.0
Illinois 10th Congressional District General Election, 2022[54]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticBrad Schneider (incumbent) 152,566 63.00
RepublicanJoseph Severino89,59937.00
Total votes242,165 100.0

Personal life

Schneider and his wife Julie live in Deerfield. They have two sons.[55] His nephew, Aaron Regunberg, is a Democratic politician in Rhode Island.[56]

In 2013, Roll Call reported that Schneider was the 35th-wealthiest member of Congress.[57] He ranked as the 34th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2014.[58] In 2012, the Chicago Tribune noted that Schneider billed himself as a small businessman, though “he has taken on few paying ventures in recent years”.[59]

As part of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Schneider led twenty-five people on a mission (his tenth with JUF) to Israel.[60] He has also been involved with AIPAC and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.[5][34]

In 2014, Schneider changed his filing status in a manner to prevent having to disclose his wife’s income.[61]

Schneider tested positive for COVID-19 on January 12, 2021, after sheltering in place during the U.S. Capitol attack.[62]

Schneider and his staffers were planning to march at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park when a mass shooting occurred there. All of them survived unharmed.[63]

See also

References

  1. ^ “SCHNEIDER, Brad, (1961 – )”. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  2. ^ “Bradley Scott Schneider – Illinois – Bio, News, Photos”. Washington Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Brad SchneiderAboutTimelineAbout (August 20, 1961). “Brad Schneider – Deerfield, IL – Politician – About”. Facebook. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  4. ^ Hamid, Saba (September 17, 2012). “Brad Schneider”. NBC Chicago. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  5. ^ a b “Illinois, 10th House District: Brad Schneider”. National Journal. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  6. ^ Hinkel, Dan; Ryan, Joseph (October 18, 2012). “Democrat Schneider has a district drawn in his favor but an underfunded campaign”. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Felsenthal, Carol (September 24, 2012). “Q & A With Brad Schneider, a First-Time Candidate in Illinois’s 10th District – Felsenthal Files – September 2012”. Chicagomag.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  8. ^ “Schneider survives in 10th district Dem primary – Chicago Sun-Times”. Suntimes.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  9. ^ “2012 Congressional Elections Race Ratings Map”. Roll Call. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  10. ^ “House Ratings”. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  11. ^ “Illinois: DCCC Names Five Nominees to Red to Blue Program | At the Races”. Atr.rollcall.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  12. ^ “Illinois Election Results”. elections.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  13. ^ “IL – District 10 Race – Nov 06, 2012”. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  14. ^ Sweet, Lynn (July 7, 2014). “Schneider raises $795,000; Dold $610,00 in 2Q for Illinois10 race”. Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  15. ^ Livingston, Abby (March 5, 2013). “DCCC Announces 26 Members on Frontline Incumbent Retention Program”. Roll Call. Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  16. ^ Titus, Elizabeth (April 2, 2014). “Bowser wins D.C. primary—Obamacare: Now what?—RNC huddles on 2016 cities—New energy ad vs. Begich—Israel meets the press—Bao Bao’s adventure”. Politico. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  17. ^ Sweet, Lynn (March 26, 2014). “Planned Parenthood backs Schneider over Dold in Illinois 10”. Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ “The Latest: Schneider wins primary for former US House seat”. WGEM-TV. Quincy, IL. March 16, 2016.
  19. ^ Skiba, Katherine (November 9, 2016). “Schneider bests Dold in 10th District race; Krishnamoorthi wins in 8th”. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  20. ^ “10th Congressional District GOP candidate: Douglas R. Bennett”. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  21. ^ Zeller, Shawn; Zeller, Shawn (July 17, 2018). “Blue Dog Democrats Vote With GOP More in 2018”. Roll Call. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  22. ^ Pema Levy (March 21, 2012). “Today On The Trail: March 21, 2012 | TPM2012”. 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  23. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (March 20, 2012). “Close Republican Primary in Illinois House Race”. The New York Times. Illinois. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  24. ^ Felsenthal, Carol (March 14, 2012). “Howard Dean on Ilya Sheyman, the Presidential Campaign, Iran, and More – Felsenthal Files – March 2012”. Chicagomag.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  25. ^ Blake, Aaron (March 19, 2012). “Illinois House primaries set stage for major 2012 battleground”. Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  26. ^ “Brad Schneider Extended Interview | Chicago Tonight | WTTW.” Chicago Tonight. Web. March 6, 2012. <http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/comment/4612 Archived December 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine>.
  27. ^ SchneiderForCongress. “Brad Schneider – “Moving Forward”” YouTube. YouTube, March 4, 2012. Web. March 6, 2012. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBrY2nqdPWM>.
  28. ^ “More 10th District Local Officials Endorse Brad Schneider.” Brad Schneider for Congress. Web. March 6, 2012. <http://schneiderforcongress.com/more-10th-district-local-officials-endorse-brad-schneider Archived May 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine>
  29. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  30. ^ Hinz, Greg (July 9, 2014). “Chicago Dems plan congressional end run around Hobby Lobby ruling”. Crain’s Chicago Business.
  31. ^ “Jewish lawmakers favoring Obama power plants plan – San Diego Jewish World”. San Diego Jewish World. June 3, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  32. ^ “Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization Questionnaire” Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization. Web. March 6, 2012. <http://www.iviipo.org/CandidateAnswers2012Primary.htm Archived March 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine>
  33. ^ a b “Brad Schneider — 10th Congress — Chicago Tribune editorial board questionnaire”. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  34. ^ a b Sadin, Steve (March 6, 2013). “Schneider Experiences Role Reversal”. Deerfield Patch. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  35. ^ Kampeas, Ron (November 21, 2011). “In Illinois, faceoff between Jewish candidates seen as bellwether for Dems | JTA – Jewish & Israel News”. JTA. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  36. ^ “Seven more lawmakers — including six Democrats — have signed on to a letter pushing Joe Biden to send F-16 jets to Ukraine”. Politico. February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  37. ^ Conant, Erika (March 8, 2021). “Ending the “Ghost Guns” loophole is the latest in Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s fight to end gun violence”. Al Dia. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  38. ^ Sweet, Lynn (August 20, 2014). “Rove-related group jumps in Schneider-Dold race in 10th District”. Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  39. ^ “2012 Election: Brad Schneider – Deerfield, IL Patch.” Deerfield Patch. Web. March 6, 2012. http://deerfield.patch.com/local_facts/election-2012-brad-schneider Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ Hinz, Greg (January 16, 2014). “House asks for weekly Obamacare reports”. Chicago Business. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  41. ^ Pearson, Rick (August 9, 2012). “Dold, Schneider clash on abortion, gay marriage, health care”. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  42. ^ “Brad Schneider: Candidate Profile”. DailyHerald.com. February 23, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  43. ^ a b Wicklander, Carl (March 4, 2014). “Democrats May Lose Illinois’ 10th Congressional District in 2014”. Independent Voter News. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  44. ^ “Bradley Scott Schneider”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  45. ^ “Members”. New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  46. ^ “Featured Members”. Problem Solvers Caucus. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  47. ^ “Election Results 2012 GENERAL PRIMARY”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  48. ^ “Election Results 2012 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  49. ^ “Election Results 2014 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  50. ^ “Election Results 2016 GENERAL PRIMARY”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  51. ^ “Election Results 2016 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  52. ^ “Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  53. ^ “Election Results 2020 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  54. ^ “Election Results 2022 GENERAL ELECTION”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  55. ^ “About Brad”. Schneider for Congress. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  56. ^ Deutch, Gabby (July 26, 2023). “Progressive activist emerges as frontrunner in open Rhode Island House race”. Jewish Insider. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  57. ^ “50 Richest Members of Congress”. Roll Call. September 13, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  58. ^ “50 Richest Members of Congress”. Roll Call. September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  59. ^ Hinkel, Dan (October 18, 2012). “Democrat Schneider has a district drawn in his favor, but an under-funded campaign”. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  60. ^ Sadin, Steve (May 8, 2013). “From Israel, Schneider Sees Syrian Civil War Battle Erupt”. deerfield.patch.com. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  61. ^ Hinz, Greg (August 18, 2014). “Tax talk still swirls around Schneider despite disclosure (of sorts)”. Chicago Business. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  62. ^ Bremer, Shelby (January 12, 2021). “Rep. Brad Schneider Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Lockdown During Capitol Riot”. NBC Chicago. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  63. ^ Chang, Ailsa; Ryan, Erika; Fox, Kathryn (July 4, 2022). “Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider reacts to shooting in his district”. NPR. Retrieved July 27, 2022.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois’s 10th congressional district

2013–2015
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois’s 10th congressional district

2017–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

United States representatives by seniority
188th
Succeeded by