Incumbent Brad Schneider, challenger Bob Dold battle in 2012 10th District rematch

NORTHBROOK, Ill. (WLS) -- One of the most contentious congressional campaigns is a rematch of the 2012 race, as Republican Bob Dold is battling the incumbent Democrat, Brad Schneider.

In 2012, Democrat Brad Schneider beat incumbent Republican Bob Dold in the 10th Congressional District. This year, Dold is trying to get his seat back in race pre-election polls suggest is too close to call.

Dold, ousted after only one term, campaigned Thursday morning at an event for seniors in far north suburban Fox Lake.

"Obviously a lot of their concerns are about Medicare, social security," he said. "It's important and there's only been one candidate in this race that's cast a vote to cut Medicare and that's Brad Schneider."

"There's only one person in this race who has voted to cut Medicare, to cut the guarantee and that's Mr. Dold," Schneider countered.

Schneider, who won by fewer than 3,400 votes two years ago, knows his seat is vulnerable and is running a daily phone bank at his Northbrook headquarters.

The Illinois 10th, long associated with the North Shore, was redrawn by the Democratic-controlled state legislature to now include working class areas farther north and west.

"Two years ago you saw a race that was very much about values and priorities and I think the voters in the 10th District saw that I better represented their priorities and values in Washington," Schneider said.

"The 10th District is a unique type of a district in the sense that we've got a lot of people that are interested in the person, somebody that's going to put people before politics," said Dold.

Dold is using Senator Mark Kirk, who held the 10th district seat before him in a television ad, while Schneider tells voters in a commercial that his Democratic Party views are more in line with what moderate 10th district voters believe.

While the candidates appear to agree on issues ranging from the minimum wage, reproductive rights, marriage equality and more, they use congressional voting records to accuse each other of being less than truthful.

Dold call Schneider a reliable vote, not for the 10th, but for democratic leadership:

"If you look at what's been going on right now, there's been very little that's come out of the 10th District. In fact, the voice of the 10th District has been all but silenced," said Dold.

But Schneider said the Dold's Obamacare vote showed where the Republican's loyalties lie.

"Every time that the Republicans wasted time trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Bob Dold voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That's a reliable Republican," Schneider said.

This being a vulnerable democratic seat, money from all over the country is coming in to fund both sides.

Also, some political experts say the Illinois governors' race and the turnout it generates in the district could play a major role in the outcome.