Republican · Illinois's 14th District · 2026
James Marter
Marter swam for Purdue as a freshman and later spent years coaching swimming and youth basketball and leading Scouts.
Biography
James “Jim” Marter's time around a swimming pool has included competing for Purdue as a freshman, working as a lifeguard and coaching young swimmers.1 He also coached boys' and girls' basketball and spent years as a Scout leader.1 He and his wife, Jill, married in 1985 and have four children and six grandchildren.1
Raised in Bartonville, Illinois, Marter earned a bachelor's degree in industrial management with a computer science minor at Purdue in 1984.1 He worked at Dow Chemical and SAP before starting his own software consulting company in 2002.1 His specialty includes software systems that manufacturing businesses use to manage production and quality.1 His clients have included manufacturers in electronics, agriculture, defense, energy and pharmaceuticals, ranging from smaller companies to large corporations.1
He served on the Oswego Public Library District board from 2021 to 2025 and completed three terms as Kendall County Republican chairman.1 The Illinois election authority lists him as the active Republican candidate for the 14th Congressional District in the November 2026 general election.2
Marter calls for a smaller federal government, a balanced budget and lower taxes for working families.3 He argues that government should encourage competition rather than choose which industries succeed.3 He supports stronger border enforcement, gun rights and a reduced federal role in education.3 He opposes abortion and federal funding for Planned Parenthood, and supports repealing the Affordable Care Act.3