One thing U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, and his Republican opponent, Elburn Mayor Jeff Walter, have in common is a background in artificial intelligence.
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While Walter was an information technology consultant before retiring last year, he said he focused on “making AI a reality” over the past four years. Foster was a member and leader of the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence established in early 2024.
Voters in the 11th District, including parts of northwest Lake County, will decide whether to return Foster to Washington or put Walter in the seat when they vote Nov. 3 in the midterm election to choose their representative in Washington, D.C.
Along with AI, Foster and Walter both recognize the impact the rising cost of living is having on the country, as well as the war in Iran. Their ideas on all three issues differ, as does their approach.
With nearly 10 years as mayor of Elburn, Walter, 66, spent 22 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring and becoming an information technology consultant. He retired from his second career last year.
As a mayor, Walter said he must provide basic needs for people, like police and fire protection as well as clean water. He also knows how to balance a budget. He wants to bring some of his practicality to Washington.
“Our national debt is $2 trillion, we’re spending $3 billion on interest, and we’re not doing anything about it,” Walter said. “Everyone has a little debt, but if you borrow to pay it, it doesn’t go down that way.”
Serving more than eight terms in Congress, Foster, 71, knows what it is like to be part of the majority as well as the minority. He said if the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives when the 120th Congress opens on Jan. 3, there will be changes for the better.
Since President Donald Trump took office nearly two years ago, Foster said his policies have cost another $5,800 per household in the 11th District. As part of the majority, especially if the Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate too, he hopes he and his colleagues can ease the pain.
“We have done our best to stop the damage Donald Trump has done to the finances of American families,” Foster said. “The tariffs, the war in Iran are all part of it, everything he promised not to do.”
Though U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, disbanded the AI task force last year, Foster said if the Democrats win a Congressional majority, a select committee on AI will likely be established, and he will play a role.
While there are numerous positives with AI, Foster said Congress must establish guardrails to prevent serious problems that could arise. In 2023, a bank in California failed in 24 hours because a tech billionaire got nervous. With AI, it could happen much faster.
“That spread at the speed of international gossip,” Foster said. “With AI, what happened in 24 hours could happen in 24 minutes. AI could disturb our financial markets, and we’re not ready. We have to be prepared.”
Though Walter does not deny that guardrails are necessary, he said AI will increase productivity. It is important to continue to develop the technology’s uses and not “let China get ahead of us.” The people developing the uses must know what they are doing.
“AI is not sentient; it can’t think for itself,” Walter said. “AI is a tool like any other, too. It will increase productivity.”
Strengthening the middle class with good, well-paying jobs is one way Walter said the increasing cost of living can be met. He said as more factory jobs come to the United States, as they are doing under Trump’s policies, those jobs will become more plentiful.
“The president is doing a good job bringing jobs back to our country,” Walter said. “A lot of those jobs pay six digits. We have to have a strong middle class. Let’s get out of the way and let them build the plants so we can get busy.”
Foster said reasserting Congress’ power to impose or not impose tariffs is part of the solution to the rising cost of goods. The evidence of the tariff’s impact and other economic dampers is all around the 11th District.
“You see it every time you pass a gas station,” Foster said. “We have to reverse Donald Trump’s energy policies. A truck driver can spend $1,000 to fill the tank. It’s hurting the farmers trying to harvest their crops. People see it when they go to the grocery store.”
Critical of the president failing to seek Congressional approval to go to war in Iran as required by the Constitution, Foster said some Republicans are starting to question the country’s involvement there.
“The war on Iran is such a mess,” Foster said. “A lot of Republicans are (becoming) unhappy with Donald Trump’s war. He started it himself without a vote in Congress.”
Remembering the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, Walter said he remembers unease about Iran when he was aboard a ship in the Navy. The country can never have a nuclear weapon and any effort to make one must stop.
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“Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Walter said. “You can’t give someone the opportunity to hurt you when they say they are going to hurt you. It needed to be done.”
Early voting is available at 18 locations throughout Lake County, including some places on weekends. The Lake County clerk’s website has a complete list of times and locations. Vote-by-mail ballots are now being received.
The 11th District includes a portion of northwest Lake County, including Volo and Wauconda, as well as parts of McHenry, DuPage, Boone, Cook, Will, DeKalb, and Kane counties.