Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional district saw a titanic primary in 2018 between incumbent Mike Capuano and then-Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley. Though now-Congresswoman Pressley won that primary by a very comfortable 17-point margin, it was considered (and expected to be) a very close race, in part, because the two contenders were both well-respected public servants with similarly left-of-center voting ideologies.
Though the 17-point margin is all the evidence one needs that there was both an appetite for new leadership and support for Ayanna Pressley as that leader, Capuano enjoyed plenty of goodwill derived from a voting record that included 100% ratings with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and Human Rights Campaign, as well as very high ratings from NAACP, ACLU, and others.
But, imagine if Capuano actually had a really awful record on a number of issues important to Democrats, and it was much easier to say “Hey, let’s replace this guy.” Then, you’d have Illinois’ 3rd Congressional district. Now, why should anyone in Massachusetts (or anywhere outside of that particular district) care about a primary in IL-03? The incumbent Democrat is Dan Lipinski; and I’ll expand on this in a moment, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that he is the most anti-woman, most anti-choice, most anti-LGBTQ+, most DINO Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dan Lipinski:
-is the *only* Democrat in the House who hasn’t co-sponsored the Equality Act
-is the *only* federally-elected Democrat who spoke at the March for Life, where he likened his anti-choice extremism to MLK’s civil rights work
-is the *only* Democrat who is a member of the “bipartisan” House Pro-Life Caucus, and he is their co-chair
-opposed Obamacare and the DREAM Act
–refused to endorse President Obama for re-election against Mitt Romney in 2012!
How did Lipinski even win this seat in the first place? His predecessor was his father Bill who retired from the seat *during* an election cycle after winning re-nomination and then convinced the state party to replace him on the ballot with his son Dan (despite Dan having not held elected office before and having not even lived in Illinois regularly in fifteen years). So Dan Lipinski had never (until 2018) faced any serious challenge for this Congressional seat that he inherited.
And it’s not like Lipinski even represents a particularly conservative district. IL-03 has a Cook PVI Rating of D+6. Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in this district in 2016, 55-40. Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney in this district in 2012, 56-43. It’s a safely, staunchly Democratic district; so, there is no ideological reason for its representative to be anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ, anti-DREAMer, and anti-Obamacare. Dan Lipinski is just a terrible Democrat, arguably the worst in the entire U.S. House of Representatives. As such, Democrats and progressives everywhere – particularly those of us who strongly advocate for pro-choice policies at a time when reproductive rights are under aggressive assault – have a vested interest in booting Lipinski for a progressive, pro-choice, pro-equality Democrat.
Fortunately, we have such a Democrat to support. Progressive businesswoman Marie Newman ran in 2018 against Lipinski. As a first-time candidate, she managed to fight to a 51-49 very narrow loss (despite Team Lipinski running a shockingly nasty campaign). She’s running again this cycle and she has the benefit of a grassroots field and fundraising base to rely on from the start. She has already outraised Lipinski in the first three months of 2019. And, she has the early endorsements of progressive heavy hitters including NARAL, Planned Parenthood, EMILY’s List, MoveOn, Democracy for America, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
Marie also has a compelling background. Her professional background includes working her way through the ranks to become partner at a nationally renowned advertising agency, and then starting her own consulting business. Her personal background includes founding the national non-profit “Team Up to Stop Bullying” following the experience she and her family had addressing bullying faced in school by her transgender daughter. She is also an active leader with her local Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America chapter.
Illinois has a very early primary, taking place on March 17, 2020. In other words, this election is only ten months away. And we can make Congress more progressive not only by flipping seats from red to blue but also by looking at safe Democratic seats like IL-03 and upgrading the representation where incumbents substantially don’t represent Democratic values. Given Dan Lipinski’s status as the most anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ+ Democrat in Congress, this primary is a critically important race as it relates to reproductive rights and civil rights. And it’s an opportunity to make our House Democratic Caucus and Congress in general more progressive across the board.
You can learn more on Marie Newman’s website, and I urgently encourage you to donate to her campaign. Also, Like her on Facebook and Follow her on Twitter. And spread the word (including sharing the link to this post on your social media)! This is a primary that should garner national interest and attention among progressives across the country.
I’m backing Newman in this race and have friends working on her campaign. That said, this is a little misleading.
No one doubts he represents a very Democratic District, but it is certainly one that is whiter and more socially conservative than just about any other hugging that city. These are your legacy Bungalow Belt Daley and Reagan Democrats. In fact Lipinski’s father was proudly and publicly both throughout his career. Working his way up from precinct captain to Congressman in the first Daley machine, trading favorable votes on Iran Contra to Ronnie for the Orange Line, and having Daley’s son appoint his son to his Congressional seat avoiding a primary.
The present Lipinski enjoys the support of his fathers neighbor, IL House Speaker and IL State Dem Party Chair Mike Madigan and his machine whose regressive hold on the state party makes DeLeo look like Michael Dukakis.
My wife grew up in a predominately Lithuanian/Polish town in this district where registered Democrats outnumber the Republican, but Trump still beat Hillary almost 60/40 in 16’. This district contains a lot of cops and Catholics and you’ll see a lot of Blue Lives Matter and pro-life bumper stickers almost as often as you’ll see the pro union home placards on the widows of the bungalow. Often in the same households.
Newman will need to adjust her strategy from last time and really make immigration an issue and activate the Latinos in the district and the Orland Park/Palos township Muslims. North Shore lakefront liberal Jan Schakowsky isn’t enough, she should try and grab some local endorsements too. Madigan facing a me too scandal might even be willing to cut a deal or at least let Lisa go rogue. Newman will most definitely need the SEIU and Chuy Garcia in her corner. And she should hire lawyers and poll watchers today, I wouldn’t put it past these guys to try and bump her off the ballot with signature challengers or some other Chicago chicanery. And she will need all of our donations.
It’s all about demographics and the results of redistricting in 2012. While no one recognized it at the time (that I’m aware of) but Capuana defeat was sealed in 2012 when the seat was redrawn to be a minority majority seat. Same can be argued about AOC’s victory over a similar establishment white liberal when that district was drawn to give Hispanics more than 50% representation i the district.
I’ll cede knowledge of Lipinski’s district to Conway, but this district doesn’t have the same dynamics going on. Lipinski already fended off a 2018 primary challenge and we’ll see how it plays out in 2020.
I’m just a bit annoyed by the ongoing “if we can elect X here, then we can elect Y there” nonsense I often hear. It’s a big country with a lot of diversity. Those on either fringe are always pretending that a Louie Gohmert or Ayanna Pressley can get elected anywhere. They can’t.
Lipinski Sr was awful — and Lipinski Jr is even worse. Surely the Democratic Party should (and must) do better. (I lived in Chicago from 1974 to 1990).
I give IL credit for putting all their primaries on the same day, without an additional statewide primary nobody goes to like we do. Hopefully that helps boost progressive turnout. I could also see the machine installing a pro-choice pro-gay lackey (Bill Daley or Pat Quinn have nothing to do) and nudging Lipinski into retirement if his internal numbers have tanked. Madigan ultimately wants to maintain control of this seat.
As for the IL GOP, they got stuck with a bona fide Nazi as their last nominee in this seat.
The only different date for MA is the presidential. Every other race whether state or federal has the same September primary date. Presidential is just once every four years and I would not want the state primary that early.
except for local elections, which are scheduled throughout early spring and, consequentially, get about 10% voter turnout.