More than half of Kinzinger’s GOP primary challengers believe Trump won the 2020

Even though allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election haven’t been substantiated, four conservatives challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger for his congressional seat insist Donald Trump actually won reelection.

All four maintain Democrat Joe Biden holds the Oval Office only through chicanery.

“I believe that is likely,” said James Marter, an Oswego software consultant running for the 16th District post. “There were serious irregularities across the nation.”

As have many Trump loyalists, Marter has taken his stolen election narrative to social media.

“I stand by President Trump, do you?” Marter, who sought the 14th District seat in 2020, tweeted on Aug. 12. “There was fraud and we are working on proving it!”

Fellow 16th District candidates Teresa Pfaff and Geno Young also ardently believe Biden wrongfully occupies the White House.

“It was stolen,” said Young, a musician from Chicago. “And yes, President Trump was the winner.”

Pfaff, a Machesney Park resident who works at a home improvement distribution center, went even further.

“I do believe President Trump is the legitimate president of the United States of America,” she said.

Pfaff questioned how Trump led in some key states on election night but was behind the next day.

“Where did those votes come from?” she asked.

In fact, election officials and experts in Illinois and other states have said Biden pulled ahead as authorities counted millions of votes cast early and by mail, an option particularly popular in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Election results have shown most people who vote by mail back Democratic candidates, and that was the case last year.

In contrast, many Republican candidates, including Trump, grumbled about voting by mail and didn’t promote it. Election watchers dubbed the resulting phenomena “the red mirage.”

Like Marter, Young and Pfaff, GOP candidate Michael Rebresh of Minooka said Biden fraudulently stole the White House from Trump. But Rebresh acknowledges Biden was named president by “a legal and constitutional process.”