Newman trying to turn progressive energy into votes against the Lipinski brand
A live audience of more than 500 people cheered and heckled at the
Newman tried to tap into the progressive zeitgeist, drawing whoops from a throng of young people as she criticized the seven-term congressman's conservative social positions. But when Newman pledged to work for everyone in the district, a Lipinski backer near the stage called back: "Except the unborn!"
The abortion-rights supporter Newman and abortion-rights foe Lipinski are battling in a race that's pointed to as an example of the fight the
The solidly blue
Party divide
Newman has been endorsed by high-profile national progressive groups like EMILY's List, the
"It's not personal toward Dan, but I felt when we have a strong mainstream Democratic woman willing to stand up and say 'I will represent correctly what this district stands for,' that I wanted to support her," Schakowsky said.
Newman is trying to both capitalize on that energy and avoid being defined by it. It's good to get support and money from high-profile national figures, but she needs to appeal to Democratic voters in places like
She points to the major organized labor endorsement of the
"I chuckle when the media wants to say 'Oh, well, she's pushing this wing or that wing (of the Democratic Party),' when the reality is, I am doing what's right for my district," Newman said. "The district has been completely unaligned with their congressperson for 13 years at least, and possibly before that."
Lipinski, though, also has union backing, including from the state's pre-eminent labor organization, the
Those local officials have known the Lipinski family for decades.
In 1982,
The elder Lipinski served in the House until he won the 2004 primary and dropped out. Democratic committeemen followed his suggestion to name his son Dan, a
While Newman said the younger Lipinski has "been propped up by the
The issues
Lipinski opposes abortion rights unless a mother's life is at stake and voted against the Affordable Care Act and the DREAM Act to protect young undocumented immigrants. In 2013, he co-sponsored the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act that would have provided tax protection to churches and other non-profits that oppose gay marriage and believe sexual relations should only take place in the confines of a marriage between a man and a woman.
He has tacked toward the left since Newman began her challenge, co-sponsoring a bill to raise the hourly minimum wage to
Still, Newman is hitting him hard on the issues, declaring that Lipinski is out of touch with an increasingly liberal district and attempting in ads to tie him to President
"It really is a perfect storm," said Democratic
Voters can't respond to a candidate, though, if they don't know who she is. Newman raised more than
But Lipinski started off with a big cash advantage to go with his well-known name. He started with
Also animating the contest is nearly
Last week, Lipinski went on the attack after the Tribune reported that Newman and husband James went into the restaurant business with a felon who spent time in federal prison for his role in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme. Newman said she and her husband didn't know about their partner's criminal conviction and started taking steps to end their involvement after they found out.
"If my opponent is willing to go into business with a convicted felon who hurt seniors and working families, how can we trust her to demonstrate sound ethics and judgment in
The Bernie factor
Results from the last election show a progressive streak among the Democratic primary voters in the
"I don't think a lot of that Sanders vote transfers (to Newman)," said
Daley, who doubles as a
Daley said Lipinski is well-liked for his responsiveness to constituent concerns. And Daley highlighted Lipinski's standing as the longest-serving
While it has been several elections since Lipinski has had such a tough challenge, it's hardly the first time he has faced an attack by a primary opponent claiming his father handed him the seat or railing against his conservative social views.
Lipinski was perhaps most vulnerable in 2006, his first Democratic primary. With
Kelly's campaign was run by
The political machine tactic of getting so-called "same name candidates" on the ballot to undercut a legitimate challenger to the party's chosen standard bearer is now under scrutiny in federal court in
Lipinski has had it progressively easier since then, and those contests show that Newman faces challenges in overcoming the longtime incumbent, even in an election year when her candidacy has taken on a higher national profile.
"She certainly seems like a viable candidate against him," said
___
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