Charlie Kim

The Republican primary field for the Illinois 11^th Congressional District has doubled with the addition of two new candidates vying for the opportunity to go against incumbent Democrat Bill Foster.

Naperville residents Mike Pierce and Charlie Kim have both filed with the Federal Election Commission.

They join Elburn Village President Jeff Walter and Palos Park resident and businesswoman Tedora Brown on the primary ballot.

Kim, an immigrant and business owner, ran in the 14th Congressional District Republican primary in 2024, losing by a nearly 4-to-1 margin to James Marter of Oswego. Kim’s policies were difficult to decipher, leading the Chicago Tribune to state following a candidate interview that, “try as we might, we found it difficult to understand his policy positions, and he’s not known in Republican circles in Illinois.”

On his website, Kim said he will advocate “for the enactment of laws that directly impact your lives and give you opportunities and empowerment for a better life.”

He said he is committed to listening to residents and answering the issues that matter most to people and their families.

“I will be unsatisfied with confusing answers, where people cannot get a straight answer to their questions,” Kim said. “I will provide answers to your questions with the purpose of providing a stronger sense of community and contributing to the betterment of our country.”

Brown’s candidacy raises questions, specifically whether she plans to move into the 11^th District. Brown lists her address on her FEC filing as being in Palos Park, which is located in the 6^th Congressional District.

Under the law, members of Congress are only required to be 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for seven years, and live in the state in which the district is located.

On her website, Brown said the campaign is not just for herself.

Tedora Brown

“This campaign is for us. It’s for the people. It’s for our children and our children’s children,” Brown said. “As the scripture says in Proverbs 13:22, a good man leaves an inheritance for his children. NOW is the time, now is the time we have to stand together as we continue to build our country on a solid foundation, one nation under God.”

She said her campaign will be driven by faith, love, community and doing the right thing.

“We will not allow corrupt policies to persevere,” Brown said. “What we will allow are the correct policies for the people, our children, our communities and our country. I am prepared to fight for justice and defend and protect our children. I will fight, I will defend, I will protect, and as a whole, WE WILL WIN.”

Elburn’s Walter, who has a finance degree and a master’s of business administration, was elected to the Elburn Village Board within three years of moving there with his family in 2006. From 2009-17, he served as a village trustee. In 2017, he was elected village president, and has been re-elected twice.

The son of German immigrants who came here after World War II, Walter joined the Navy after graduating high school. He earned a cryptology/linguist rating and spent nine years working in intelligence as a radio-telephone intercept operator.

Jeff Walter

After leaving active duty service, he spent 13 years in the naval reserves, rising to master chief (E-9), the highest enlisted rank possible in the Navy. Since then, he’s worked in manufacturing, internet technology, and the business world, and has run a family business.

Walter told several media outlets recently that he is working to form a campaign committee, set up a website and create a Facebook page.

“I can offer a lot,” Walter said in recent local newspaper interviews.

He said he supports Donald Trump, and is generally pleased with how things are going, though concerned with the increasing national debt.

Naperville’s Pierce served 20 years in the Army, starting as an enlisted man, then a commissioned officer after Officer Candidate School. He retired as a lieutenant colonel. Between 1992 and 2012, he deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as did a 15-month tour in Iraq, and other assignments in Israel, Russia, Armenia and the Republic of Georgia. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and a doctorate in organizational leadership.

Pierce was a candidate in the 2022 Republican primary before dropping out, telling Shaw Media at the time that he wasn’t able to “devote the kind of time and energy needed to run a successful campaign.”

Pierce appears to be ready now, with a campaign website up and numerous policy statements. He says he’s pro-life and pro-gun rights, calls for programs to assist military veterans, and favors term limits.

Mike Pierce

He argues that “American history is being hijacked by an ideology from books based on a misinformed premise…”

He says that America faces “challenges with the border, crime, and drugs,” and that the government “has abdicated its responsibilities of protecting its citizens,” which has led to “Uncontrolled mass migration (that) is still causing havoc for Americans across the country.”

The winner of the March 17 Republican primary will face incumbent Democrat Bill Foster in the 2026 general election.