Schneider Declared Winner

(Updated at 9:35 p.m.) Deerfield’s Brad Schneider thanked supporters and pledged a vigorous fight to win the 10th Congressional District seat as he claimed the Democratic nomination to oppose Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) in the Nov. 6 general election.

“I knew we could do something special,” Schneider said, talking about his decision to run in May. “We did this with character integrity and class.”

Schneider amassed 46.9 percent of the vote to defeat Ilya Sheyman, who had 38.6 percent, John Tree with 8.8 percent and Vivek Bavda with 5.7 percent.

Sheyman, looking tired and disappointed, came down from his room at the Ramada in Waukegan at around 9 p.m. to concede the election and to thank his supports. 

"We came up a little short tonight," Sheyman said. "And for that, it is my responsibility and mine alone." 

He urged his supporters to fight for progressive values even though his candidacy failed. "We want to take the seat back in November," he said. "We came up short, but the fight is not over. We need to fight on to November and beyond."

(Updated at 9:11 p.m.) Brad Schneider has been declared the Democratic nominee to challenge Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) in the Nov. 6 general election, according to WGN.

(Updated at 9 p.m.) With nearly all results counted from election day balloting, Brad Schneider has amassed 11,867 votes to lead Ilya Sheyman by nearly 2,000 tallies while everyone awaits early voting results. Sheyman has 9,713, John Tree 2,070 and Vivek Bavda 1,475.

Brad Schneider campaign manager Jarrod Backous cautioned more than 200 people at Sheyman campaign headquarters against celebrating too early.

“Brad is very happy with the numbers,” Backous said. “We want to make sure every vote is cast.”

State Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park), who endorsed Schneider Friday after growing tired of negative campaigning by Sheyman, was pleased with what she has seen as she awaits the results with Schneider supporters.

“I think it represents the independent minded voters of the 10th District,” she said.

(Updated at 8:15) With 80 percent of the vote counted in Cook County and 266 of 309 precincts reporting in Lake County, Brad Schneider has taken a better than 2,000 vote lead over Ilya Sheyman, according to a source in at Lake County Democratic headquarters.

Earlier (at 7:42 p.m.) First results of the 10th Congressional District Primary have Deerfield Management consultant  and Waukegan community organizer  neck and neck for the right to face  in the Nov. 6 general election.

Schneider has 4,241 votes, Sheyman 3,918, Long Grove business owner John Tree 858 and Mundelein attorney Vivek Bavda 498, according to the Chicago Tribune. Several experts expect a total turnout of 50,000 votes.

Sheyman campaign manager Annie Weinberg declined to be optimistic early in the evening, saying only that supporters have knocked "thousands of doors" in an effort to get Sheyman elected.

"This has been all about getting a progressive to Washington," Weinberg said. "We want to make sure a progressive goes to congress."

About 150 supporters mingled at the Fireside Lounge in the Ramada Inn at Waukegan, waiting for results. "We are looking at the same web sites everyone else is," one anxious supporter said, smartphone in hand.

Stay tuned to Patch for up to date results.

For most of the campaign advertisements describing some donations Schneider made to Republicans.

 or groups supporting them, the in the contest.

Stretching from Glencoe and Northbrook on the south to the Wisconsin border, the  than the seat Dold won two years ago against Dan Seals.

Though Dold’s Kenilworth home is now located in the 9th District represented by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston),  where the majority of his current constituents live.

The national Democrats have  before Dold took his oath of office.

“We will focus on constituent services,” Dold told a group of supporters at a Republican event in Northfield last summer not long after the new map was passed by the Illinois General Assembly. Dold likes to point out he is considered one of the more moderate Republicans in Congress.