Charlie Kim
Charlie Kim (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 11th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 17, 2026.[source]
Biography
Charlie Kim graduated from Downers Grove North High School. Kim earned degrees in international relations and law from Northern Illinois University, in international economics and politics from Harvard University, in administration and executive management from Harvard Business School, in dispute resolutions from Harvard Law School, in international business economy and leadership management from Regent University, and in international law and politics from Yonsei University in Korea.[1]
Kim's career experience includes working for DuPage Illinois Legal Aid Services, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. Air Force Reserves Medical Services and U.S. Navy Reserves Intelligence Officer Commissioning processes, U.S. Congressional Advisory, U.S. President's Trade Representative Office in North American Free Trade Agreement and East Asia affairs at Washington, DC, American Express Insurance and Financial Services, Amore Pacific Group/Pacific Systems, and teacher and speaker at various colleges and organizations.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Illinois' 11th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11
Incumbent Bill Foster and Tekita Martinez are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bill Foster | |
| Tekita Martinez (Write-in) | ||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11
Tedora Brown, Charlie Kim, Mike Pierce, and Jeffrey Walter are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 11 on March 17, 2026.
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: Illinois' 14th Congressional District election, 2024
Illinois' 14th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
Illinois' 14th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Illinois District 14
Incumbent Lauren Underwood defeated James Marter in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lauren Underwood (D) | 55.1 | 183,446 |
 | James Marter (R) | 44.9 | 149,464 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 19 | ||
| Total votes: 332,929 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14
Incumbent Lauren Underwood advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lauren Underwood | 100.0 | 32,400 |
| Total votes: 32,400 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14
James Marter defeated Charlie Kim and Krystal Dorey in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Marter | 79.0 | 24,828 |
 | Charlie Kim | 20.9 | 6,571 | |
 | Krystal Dorey (Write-in) | 0.0 | 14 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 14 | ||
| Total votes: 31,427 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Matthew Leiv (R)
- Jack Lombardi II (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kim in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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You can ask Charlie Kim to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing charlieincongress@gmail.com.
2024
Charlie Kim completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kim's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Honorable Founders include former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush. First U.S. Department of State FSP Ambassador (Pro-Temp) and former U.S. Department of State Fulbright Specialist in international security and case methods. Founder and Advisory Board Executive of CG Worldwide companies in Chicago, Illinois, and affiliate offices in 12 countries, including 2 registered on the New York Stock Exchange. Volunteer of the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award Program, U.S. Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Illinois Legal Aid Services, and Harvard Alumni Admissions Interviewers. Experience in DuPage Illinois Legal Aid Services, Second Appellate Court, U.S. Federal Courts, U.S. Air Force Reserves Medical Services and U.S. Navy Reserves Intelligence Officer Commissioning processes, U.S. Congressional Advisory, U.S. President's Trade Representative Office in North American Free Trade Agreement and East Asia affairs at Washington, DC, American Express Insurance and Financial Services, Amore Pacific Group/Pacific Systems, and teacher and speaker at various colleges and organizations.
Education of a doctorate degree (i.e., DSL/PhD) includes Downers Grove North High School, Northern Illinois University in international relations and law, Harvard University in international economics and politics, Harvard Business School in administration and executive management, Harvard Law School- economy
- immigration
- school choice
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Kim’s campaign website stated the following:
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Immigration and U.S. Citizenship Reform by Enforcing Laws and Not Wasting Money of Taxpayers The solution is to enforce Secure the Border Act of 2023 and not support legislations that are for political interests, i.e., National Security and Border Act of 2024, which supports more assistance to foreign countries than the U.S.A. We must properly implement legal immigration, including the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, non-U.S. citizens by legal entry of VISAs and sponsorships, and other immigration programs that help immigrants become U.S. citizens and protect the unity of families and friends in the U.S.A. In Congress, I shall create and/or support legislation that will enforce laws to protect Americans First and provide government social regulation of sponsorship to permit legal immigration as my family earned to be U.S. Citizens, allowing an opportunity to achieve U.S. citizenship and the American Dream. My solution shall be an immigration process that is efficient and well-managed to benefit U.S. Citizens as well as immigrants, preventing uninvited responsibilities and unreasonable costs to American taxpayers for the chaos of illegal immigration. We must be properly promoting our diversity as “one nation” and avoiding "identity politics" to give the best opportunity for Americans in global competitiveness to have a positive tomorrow. Freedom for Workers and Promote American Business The solution is better regulations to promote American businesses and farms by supporting the middle class communities, local businesses, exporting U.S. manufactured products, and reducing favorite trade status to countries that are not mutually supporting the U.S.A. Workers should have the freedom to support or not support a particular organization or association without being forced to pay for membership fees and other costs if they are not involved. We can expand businesses while supporting workers with less government interference, allowing business development for more profits to businesses and more income wages to workers. Mom-and-pop small businesses and non-profit organizations need more direct financial support, and larger companies need indirect tax savings and direct incentives to work with smaller businesses and self-employment entities, thereby, mutually benefiting from one another to be productive and prosperous with less government involvement. Our government must enact laws for innovative regulations, equal opportunity funds, and adequate resources. Promoting Parental Rights, Protecting Schools, and Empowering Students The answer is to allow parental rights to decide the well-being of students. Parents should have the right to choose for non-prejudice governmental influence and the best care of their children in public, private, or home-in schools. Our government must provide necessary resources to protect the safety of schools and support teachers and administrators with advanced learning tools of the 3 Rs (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic) and other resources that are requested by parents. By doing these essential acts, parents could entrust teachers with their precious children for the best possible education and preparation to be successful and happy in their lives. In Congress, I shall promote the Parent Bill of Rights Act that gives parental rights in educational institutions and provides necessary support for teachers and facilitates so that the betterment of administrators' skills can empower students to be the best scholars in order to be well-developed citizens for challenges beyond classrooms as requested by parents and communities. As your representative, I will be the best possible supporter of schools and students because of experiences as a student and a teacher, learning from failures, and enduring the injustice of discrimination. With hard work, persistence, and the support of teachers and the community, I excelled as a student, a teacher, and a productive citizen in our community and country. The Best Effective Health Care and Affordable Medication and Treatment for Everyone Too many working families, military families, farmers, and business owners are forced to sacrifice healthcare costs because of necessary medications and treatments in order to pay for credit card debts, apartment rents, home mortgages, child care items, utilities, foods and more needed things. Our healthcare system is unaffordable and unpractical, which is harmful to our health and deleterious to our quality of life. It is imperative that our government implement a better healthcare system than the current Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. The solution is to establish a comprehensive healthcare system with patients, providers, and insurance companies in industries of medical, pharmaceutical, and insurance. In addition to these stakeholders, I propose an effective and efficient affordable healthcare system that will not be paid by taxpayers and less controlled by the government. My solution is to have a quality healthcare system that promotes profits for businesses by restructuring and simplifying the current healthcare system to ensure that every family, military veteran, and person has enough coverage for essential medical appointments, medications, therapies, and treatments. Currently, our government is forcing Americans pay for an incomplete health care service with the requirement of an expensive patient's co-pay plan that is not the best benefit for the people. By embracing my proposal, we can promote the well-being and prosperity of our nation and develop a realistic budget to pay for the best possible health care for all of us. Reimagining Public Safety and Defending the U.S. Constitution The solution is to protect our communities, permit legal possession of guns and weapons, and support police officers and other law enforcement agents to properly protect themselves to protect citizens. Our laws must prevent releasing ill-moral criminals that disrespect the rights and safety of others. It is the responsibility of politicians to create and provide the resources to enforce laws that will cease the cycle of recidivism by helping people to become valuable contributors to their communities through sensible government policies and supportive community programs to give opportunities for reformed individuals. Government must make wiser decisions by creation of enforceable laws, implementation of effective regulations, and establishment of well-managed community crime prevention and criminal reform support programs to prevent crimes instead of making excuses for increasing crimes and spending more money for repeat criminal offenders. Many politicians have distorted the purpose of the U.S. Constitution and created problems for citizens and law enforcement agencies. We must enact realistic improvements for gun safety regulations to support businesses and law enforcement agencies to cooperate and protect our schools and neighborhoods, defending our Constitutional rights to bear arms and defend ourselves. We have to avoid making unreasonable laws to blame gun manufacturers and law enforcement agents in which separate ideologies divide us to fight for different goals instead of supporting the unity for safety of our community and protecting citizens. Our safety is the responsibility of our government as well as every U.S. Citizen. The Truth These particular politicians are playing with us by saying that these problems are complex and difficult to solve so they need more time while we, the people, continue to sacrifice and suffer. I am determined to make a difference by common-sense acts in creating new legislation and improving laws, devoting all my effort to our cause as your representative in Congress. The answers to these issues require the KISS smart and sincere acts that I shall do for the people, because I am elected by the people![2] |
” |
| —Charlie Kim’s campaign website (2024)[3] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Charlie in Congress, "WHO IS CHARLIE," accessed February 26, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Charlie in Congress, “Our Mission,” accessed February 26, 2024
