Hours after insurgent Democrat Marie Newman had been declared the winner in the hotly contested primary in Illinois' 3rd District (Chicago) on Tuesday, the widespread conclusion of the national media was the narrow (48%-44%) defeat of Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., was due to his niche as a rare pro-life Democratic House Member.
In many ways, that is true. Eight-termer Lipinski was the lone Democrat in the House to oppose abortion. Planned Parenthood, EMILY's List, and the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) all weighed in behind vigorous pro-choicer Newman.
But there were other issues that energized the left against Lipinski, whose lifetime rating with the American Conservative Union was 18.60%.
The veteran lawmaker, son of and successor to former Democratic Rep. (1982-2004) Bill Lipinski, opposed passage of the Affordable Health Care Act in 2010 and the current Democrat proposal of Medicare for All.
Lipinski also refused to publicly announce his support for Barack Obama in 2012.
Two far-left grassroots groups, Indivisible and Justice Democrats, provided precinct walkers and other workers on behalf of Newman. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, the best-known congresswoman in the House's leftist "Squad," weighed in for Newman. The challenger also received the blessings of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and the Prairie State's former Democratic Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, both considered decidedly left-of-center Democrats.
"There are no more Reagan Democrats," Dan Proft, veteran Republican political consultant from Illinois, told Newsmax. "It is intent on banishing all heretics. Rep. Lipinski knew this long ago. He attempted to appease [the left] with terrible fiscal policy votes, but it only provoked them more. Lipinski should've switched parties long ago."
Proft added, "the good news is Lipinski Democrats have practical alternative to prospective Squad member Marie Newman in [Republican nominee] Mike Fricilone."
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