It's the hottest congressional contest in Illinois and could determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the U.S. House. Both candidates took to the street on this sweltering Independence Day.

At Downers Grove's 4th of July parade, Civil War re-enactors portraying Confederates fired and fled from the stout-hearted 104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. It wasn't the day's only clash.

In between the marching bands, five-term Congressman Peter Roskam and his Democratic challenger, Sean Casten, took verbal shots at each other.

“Sean says we need to raise the gas tax. He says we need to take the cap off the social security earnings tax,” said Rep. Peter Roskam.

“He's voted with the Republican party 97% of the time. He's voted with Donald Trump 94% of the time. He is working very hard to redefine himself,” Casten said.

“That 94% figure, when pushed, he can't give an answer to where I’m going against the sixth district. So, when I’m voting to cut taxes, deregulate the economy, create more buoyancy, trying to fix health care, that's reflecting the sixth district,” Roskam responded.


Casten said he'd repeal the Republican tax cut bill that Roskam helped to write, because it added a trillion dollars to the national debt, among other things.

“It is terrible for the country. What our tax policy should do? Let's incentivize businesses to invest in infrastructure. We can make targeted tax relief to people who create investments, create jobs. None of that's in this bill,” Casten said.

FOX 32 will co-sponsor with the Lincoln Forum a debate between Sean Casten and Congressman Roskam, scheduled for July 26th.