Dupage Policy Journal

Republican congressional candidate Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) recently drew criticism from U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), a charter member of "the Squad” – four famously progressive Democratic U.S. Reps. – after Ives publicly voiced her support for Cook County Board Commissioner Dan Patlak’s reelection efforts.

Ives considers fellow Republican Patlak to be a pro-property-tax-relief candidate who would better serve the needs of Cook County residents than Squad-endorsed Democratic candidate Abdelnasser Rashid. Ives condemns the far-left policies espoused by the Squad, which includes Tlaib and fellow U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York). 

In fact, Ives' opponent in the 6th Congressional District of Illinois, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Downers Grove), is often considered to be a de facto member of the Squad for standing in lockstep on most issues and criticizing border patrol agents and members of law enforcement. Ives argues that the group has slandered the likes of former Navy SEAL officer and current U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) as a racist.  

Cook County Board Commissioner Dan Patlak | cookcountyil.gov

“I stand with an American hero like Rep. Dan Crenshaw while Sean Casten not only stands with Tlaib and the Squad, he’s inviting their involvement in local races in Illinois,” Ives said in a press release. “The choice for suburban voters in November 2020 couldn’t be more clear.”

Ives previously served six years as state representative of the 42nd District before narrowly losing out to then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 Republican Primary. She has based her current campaign against Casten on a platform that includes homeland security, security at the border, support for the military and pocketbook matters.