Air Force Reserve Colonel Becomes Fourth Dold Challenger

Business owner and Air Force Reserve Col. John Tree, 45, of Long Grove will become the fourth Democratic candidate seeking his party’s nomination in the March 20 primary to earn the opportunity to challenge Rep. next November for the 10th Congressional District seat. 

Tree will officially announce his candidacy tomorrow, according to spokesperson Ken Snyder. He will join Waukegan community organizer , Deerfield management consultant and Mundelein attorney in the expanding Democratic field. 

“He has the breadth of experience as well as the moral authority of wearing his country’s uniform to hold Dold accountable,” Snyder said.

Tree decided to make his first run for public office in part because Dold sided with the Republican majority over the debt ceiling debate that almost shut down the country, according to Snyder. 

A Long Grove resident since 2005, Tree lived in 18 different places before he entered the United States Air Force Academy, according to Snyder. He and his wife Michelle currently operate a marketing business in Long Grove.

In addition to his degree from the Air Force Academy, Tree holds an MBA from Chaminade University in Hawaii and a Masters in Economics from the University of Oklahoma. His time in the corporate world included stints with Proctor & Gamble and Kellogg.