Progressive groups back challenger to Illinois Dem

[demmiblue]

Source: The Hill

A group of progressive and women's rights groups are backing a primary challenger to Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), providing a swing of momentum against one of the few anti-abortion rights Democrats left in the House.

NARAL Pro-Choice, MoveOn.org, Human Rights Campaign, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) and Democracy for America (DFA) have decided to back Marie Newman, a former advertising consultant and anti-bullying nonprofit head, in her bid to unseat Lipinski.

The progressive groups criticized Lipinski's record on abortion, same-sex marriage and immigration in their statements, which were provided exclusively to The Hill ahead of Tuesday's official endorsement.

"Time is up for Congressman Lipinski. For too long, Dan Lipinski has ignored the needs of working families across Illinois, by pushing his fringe ideological agenda at the expense of women and families across the state,” Ilyse Hogue, NARAL's president, said in a statement.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/362050-progressive-groups-back-challenger-to-illinois-dem

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[marble falls]

1. This is good news. We need to make Congress reflect who we are. By playing it safe ....

we've only perpetuated the meme that all politics are are the same old thing. We need a younger more activist slate to to make those tired of tired old politics come back out to vote. Congress should NOT look so much like me.

[OnDoutside]

2. As long as it doesn't let the door open for a Republican.

[marble falls]

4. Running a pro-abortion version of Lipinski wouldn't be a good thing either.....

playing it safe has brought us to a point where people don't vote in droves because they feel it doesn't matter who's in office. We need to offer real choice and I think that the message of VA and NJ and several other elections on the state level across the country this fall is offer a real alternative.

[tomp]

3. Will be interesting to see...

...who comes to lipinski's defense.

[rpannier]

7. They may or may not show

I'm looking for the group of people here who oppose any primary challenge. I've run into many of them, who hold the view that any primary challenge will likely only help the Republicans -- even if the Republicans have a competitive primary

[7962]

8. Depends on the makeup of that district. Ive seen it fail on the GOP side before.

Losing a winnable race because they HAD to run their precious "Tea Party" candidate instead of a better known better qualified GOP candidate.
But if this is a reliable Dem district, it would likely stay that way with a new candidate

[Amimnoch]

9. Guilty as charged.

I want to see Democrats win. Primary challenges in the wrong place that end up getting a Republican in office is not a winning strategy, and frankly foolish.

However, this is Illinois, one of the more Democratic Party and Liberal leaning states. As long as it doesn't end with another Mark Kirk win, I'm totally for moving left in races where we can.

[Kolesar]

11. The Democratic Party is a coalition, and the coalition means compromise

The coalition is labor plus the civil rights movement, with a few groups at the periphery.
I am working on a thesis, here. The other side of the deal is that the Democrats should bring the goodies to their groups and boast about it.

The GOP is a coalition, too. More later

[murielm99]

13. Count me in on that.

If the DFA is supporting this candidate, then I am not. They have become a divisive group who only harm Democrats.

[dsc]

5. It will be an uphill battle

He has a floor in primaries, probably around 40%. You can count on at least one if not more additional opponents to split the anti Lipinski vote. I hope this works but I am not holding my breath.

[rpannier]

6. The 40% is about right

The district is pretty solidly Democratic and in Illinois you can vote take any party's primary ballot. That could encourage the more conservative, non-affiliated people to pick up a primary ballot and vote for him -- especially conservative Catholics for whom abortion is first and last in all their decisions

[Kolesar]

10. The endorsement includes a press release, but no funding for Newman

The article refers to possible fundraising. Newman could note NARAL in her fund raising appeals to individuals.

[TeapotInATempest]

12. A Republican will not win this district, so no worries there.

I should know; I've lived in it most of my life. Also, honestly, the district has changed as a lot of the old hard-line Catholics have died out and it has become more Hispanic.

However, Lipinski and Speaker of the House Mike Madigan are good friends and I fully expect Madigan to put up another candidate in the primaries to split the vote and ensure a Lipinksi win. He's successfully done it before. Lipinski also has off the charts name recognition, as his father held the seat before him so there's been a Lipinski in that seat since 1983. However, his vote against the ACA (if nothing else)will hurt him if Newman is smart and uses it against him.

Fingers crossed, is all I can say!

[Orsino]

14. I think this is what a primary is for. n/t