Jim Geldermann
State Representative, District 17
““Citizen of Illinois, not a subject of the Democrat party””
Your Choice This November
Vote Republican — defend the Constitution
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz is a three-term Democrat incumbent whose legislative record poses a direct threat to the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Illinoisans. She voted for Illinois' sweeping assault weapons ban, personally sponsored the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act targeting gun manufacturers, and has pushed to layer on mandatory liability insurance, ghost-gun restrictions, and firearms restraining orders — an agenda that treats lawful gun owners and the industry that serves them as the problem rather than criminals.
- Second Amendment: Gong-Gershowitz voted for and advocated Illinois' assault weapons ban (Protect Illinois Communities Act), sponsored and passed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act to allow lawsuits against gun manufacturers over marketing, introduced legislation requiring firearm owners to carry liability insurance, and has backed FOID changes, ghost-gun bans, safe-storage mandates, and firearms restraining orders.
- First Amendment: She backed the 2023 Illinois law penalizing pro-life pregnancy resource centers for alleged 'deceptive practices,' a measure critics argue targets the speech and religious mission of faith-based counseling centers.
- Fifth Amendment: Her Firearm Industry Responsibility Act exposes lawful firearms businesses to civil liability for third-party criminal misuse, raising due-process concerns for a constitutionally protected industry.
- Tenth Amendment: She has explicitly stated she will lobby federal officials for national gun-control legislation to override the firearm policies of neighboring states like Indiana, prioritizing federal preemption over state-level policy choices.
Why We Vetted Jim Geldermann
- Backs full PICA repeal and calls out ISP for banning guns it can't even define
- Treats the Second Amendment as a declaration to government, not a permission slip — supports FOID repeal
- Demands full SAFE-T Act repeal, no compromise, no 'fixes'
- Wants every government exception to magazine limits, waiting periods, and registries wiped out
- Rejects gun-free zones as 'soft targets' and opposes any firearm registry that endangers gun-owning families
The Scorecard
Second Amendment
9.9/10Jim's answer
“I think if you're going to ban a gun, you should have to declare its nomenclature. On the Illinois State Police site, they can not describe what an assault rifle is, but they have plenty of pictures - https://www.ispfsb.com/public/downloadableresource.ashx?id=401”
Jim's answer
“The constitution does not bestow rights, the Bill of Rights are declarations we make to the government. We specifically declare that these rights shall not be infringed.”
Jim's answer
“The proof is incumbent upon the government to prove. The subject of the order should be able to defend themselves with out hiring an attorney.”
Jim's answer
“I do not support fixing the Safety Act, I only support its repeal. When it comes to guiding principles there should not be any compromise.”
Jim's answer
“I believe that as a consequence of convicted criminal activity, the offenders has forfeited there to right to won a gun. No one should be allowed to carry open or concealed that has surrendered their right through a criminal conviction.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“Gun free zones are soft targets of opportunity”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Why this score: We score Jim Geldermann at the top of the scale on the Second Amendment because his positions align with a full originalist reading of the right to keep and bear arms — opposing PICA's gun and magazine bans and registry, backing FOID repeal and constitutional carry, and rejecting red flag laws, sensitive-place carry restrictions, ammunition taxes, and waiting-period schemes that burden law-abiding owners. The fractional deduction from a perfect 10 reflects only that this is a public candidate rating, not a legislative voting record we can point to line by line.
First Amendment
10/10Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights., especially when it comes to life. I will fight the government when it tries to restrict my access to my neighbor to share their burdens”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights. This also goes for pregnancy crisis centers offering abortion consoling and mental health and pastoral ministries from offering assisted suicide consoling.”
Why this score: We score Jim Geldermann a perfect 10/10 on the First Amendment based on a record we read as fully aligned with a constitutional-originalist view of speech, religious liberty, and assembly. That means standing against government and corporate censorship, protecting conscience rights, opposing debanking and viewpoint-based deplatforming, defending the right of Second Amendment groups to organize freely, and rejecting any compelled anti-gun speech.
Fourth Amendment
10/10Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights and puts my life and my families lives in danger from a mob that is unleashed upon the citizens of the State”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights. As responsible gun owners safety through familiarization should be a major priority”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Why this score: We score Jim Geldermann a perfect 10/10 on the Fourth Amendment because he stands firmly against warrantless surveillance and rejects any government database, financial tracking, or inspection regime aimed at lawful gun owners. In our view, he treats privacy as a hard constitutional line — no registries, no monitoring of buyers, no warrantless storage checks, and no surveillance at gun shows, ranges, or shops.
Fifth Amendment
10/10Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights. There should be a well defined process to restore all rights that are surrendered because of a criminal act.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Why this score: We score Jim Geldermann a perfect 10/10 on the Fifth Amendment because we are confident he will defend due process across the board — opposing civil asset forfeiture without conviction, requiring due process before any firearm seizure, supporting restoration of Second Amendment rights, and rejecting uncompensated takings and contraband-style property grabs.
Tenth Amendment
10/10Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Jim's answer
“I want to repeal all exceptions that the government imposes to abridge my rights.”
Why this score: We score Jim Geldermann a perfect 10 on Tenth Amendment federalism because his posture on state sovereignty, Second Amendment sanctuary protections, and pushing back on federal gun overreach aligns fully with the constitutional-originalist standard we grade against. Absent any record to the contrary, we see no daylight between his position and a firm defense of Illinois's authority to preempt local gun restrictions and resist federal encroachment on the right to keep and bear arms.
Constitutional Fidelity & Oath of Office
10/10Jim's answer
“You can't be a Godless Marxists and make an oath in good conscience.”
Why this score: We award Jim Geldermann a perfect 10 on Constitutional Fidelity & Oath of Office because his public posture reflects an unwavering commitment to governing within the text and original meaning of the Constitution. Candidates earn this top mark when we are confident they will treat the oath of office as a binding covenant — not a formality — and defend enumerated powers, individual rights, and the structural limits on government without hedging.
Our Take
We vetted Jim Geldermann through his answers to our questionnaire. While we haven't had the chance to sit down with him in person yet, his written responses speak for themselves — and they're strong. We encourage every voter to read them directly and see where he stands.
Questions & Answers
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This scorecard reflects the opinions of We The Vetted based on the public record, votes, and candidate statements. It is not a paid endorsement and is not coordinated with any campaign. We accept no payment for inclusion; the donation link points to the candidate's own official campaign.