Kane County Reporter

Over her first few weeks in office, state Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) claims, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville) has already revealed her priorities.

“She’s there to serve Nancy Pelosi and liberal democrats above and beyond everyone us,” Skillicorn told Kane County Reporter. “She’s simply a pawn for that group and it’s real easy for everyone to see.”

Skillicorn points to Underwood recently voting in favor of a law that sought to lower the legal voting age from 18 to 16 as the latest example of her putting party before voters. The amendment, which ultimately failed by an overall House vote of 305-126, was introduced by fellow freshman Rep. Ayana Pressley (D-Mass.) earlier this month.

Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville)

“High school students should not be making decisions that hold consequences for the world,” Skillicorn argued. “The only reason I can think of for why democrats would be pushing for something like this is their preference for the less-educated voter. There could be no other reason.”

The current age requirement was established in 1971 with the passage of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the age from 21. In introducing the measure for change, Pressley stressed roughly 2 million teens between 16 and 17 were employed and paid taxes in 2018.

Meanwhile, Underwood’s controversial voting history predates her time in Congress. The former Obama administration aide was criticized for voting in the 2016 Illinois Democrat primary while she was officially living and working in Washington.

Records show that Underwood cast an Illinois absentee ballot using her parent’s address during that election cycle, despite having voted at least six times in D.C. over the seven-year period she was known to reside there.

Will County records show that Underwood was registered in Illinois from 2004, the year she graduated from Neuqua Valley H.S. in Aurora, until 2010, when she moved to Washington, D.C. and registered there.