The Hot Seats: Can a Progressive in Illinois Take Down Activist Enemy No. 1?

1. Illinois’ 3rd District

Dan Lipinski vs. Marie Newman: The Rematch: The Revengening.

Chicago-area Rep. Dan Lipinski is incumbent enemy No. 1 on progressive activist lists across the country. Despite representing a safely blue seat, the Democrat has voted against abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, the 2010 DREAM Act, and even the Affordable Care Act. In 2018, Lipinski—a classic machine politician whose seat was previously held by his father—came within 2 percentage points of losing to Newman, a progressive with a background in advertising. And now, in Tuesday’s primary, they’re doin’ it again. Recent events in the presidential sphere would suggest that headwinds are blowing against Newman, as does last week’s win by conservative Democratic Texas incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, who narrowly beat 26-year-old progressive Jessica Cisneros. On the other hand, as a repeat challenger, Newman is starting from a stronger position than Cisneros did—and, unlike, Lipinski, such victorious establishment figures as Cuellar and Joe Biden did not vote against Obamacare.

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