Vice President Joe Biden campaigns in Illinois

VERNON HILLS, Ill. (WLS) -- Vice President Joe Biden is in the Chicago area Wednesday night to help raise funds for and support area Democrats, including Senator Dick Durbin.

The vice president was over an hour late for an event in suburban Vernon Hills because he said he was being briefed on the Canadian shooting situation. Once he arrived, he was joined on stage by Senator Durbin, 10th District Congressman Brad Schneider, as well as Paul Vallas, Governor Pat Quinn's running mate.

The re-match race between Schneider and challenger Bob Dold has been closely watched nationwide. Millions of dollars are flowing in from outside the district and state. Schneider is hoping a campaign visit from Vice President Biden will help rally the Democratic troops.

Schneider reminded the audience that he won his last election against Dold by just 1 percent, and Biden reminded the audience what Dold stood for when he was in Congress.

"They say they care, yet they opposed when Brad supported cutting the interest rate debt owed by student debt, they opposed it," Biden said.

"Elections like these where every phone call, every door knocked, every single vote makes a difference," Schneider said.

Dold said there is a stark difference between his campaign. While Schneider brings insiders, Dold said he is being endorsed by 27 mayors in the 10th District.

"The Democrats have pulled up stakes in a lot of different races and tried to bring it back in here to try to buy their way out of this election and frankly we're not going to have it," Dold said. "I think what the voters are looking for is that thoughtful, independent leadership, they're looking for people to work together to end the gridlock and solve problems, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Biden will be attending a fundraiser in Chicago Wednesday night at the home of David Axelrod. The vice president will be back in Illinois on Monday, when he will attend another campaign event in Rockford with Durbin and Quinn.