American politician (born 1964)
Marie Newman
(nee
Klassen
; born April 13, 1964) is an American politician and
marketing consultant
who served as the
U.S. representative
from
Illinois's 3rd congressional district
from 2021 to 2023. The district encompassed parts of southwestern
Chicago
as well as many of its nearby
suburbs
, such as
Oak Lawn
,
Western Springs
, and
Lockport
. Newman was elected to the
United States House of Representatives
as the
Democratic
nominee, after defeating incumbent
Dan Lipinski
in the
2020 primary election
.
Due to redistricting as a result of the
2020 United States Census
, Newman in 2022 faced a choice between running in the heavily Hispanic
4th district
which she had been drawn into, or against
Sean Casten
in a district with the majority of her former area.
[1]
Newman opted to run against Casten in the Democratic primary but was defeated.
In April 2023, Newman was appointed chief executive officer of Little City Foundation, a social services organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Early life and career
[
edit
]
Newman was born Marie Klassen in
Evergreen Park
,
Illinois
,
[2]
[3]
[a]
on April 13, 1964, at the Little Company of Mary Hospital.
[4]
She attended
Carl Sandburg High School
in
Orland Park
.
[5]
After attending
Marquette University
for a year and a half, she transferred to the
University of Wisconsin?Madison
, where she graduated with a
bachelor's degree
.
[6]
Newman worked for multiple firms as an agency executive. She began her own consulting firm in 2005.
[7]
She also established her own nonprofit to combat bullying after one of her children was bullied.
[7]
Governor
Pat Quinn
appointed her to a regional anti-bullying task force and
Sears Holdings Corporation
asked her to establish a national anti-bullying coalition of 70 nonprofit organizations.
Newman has worked on several Democratic campaigns for public office. Between 2015 and 2017 she lobbied for
gun control
measures such as background checks.
[8]
Career after U.S. House of Representatives
[
edit
]
In April 2023, Newman was appointed chief executive officer of Little City Foundation, a social services organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Little City serves over 900 people through its residential facilities, day programs, and at-home assistance in northern Illinois.
[9]
Newman had a personal connection to Little City, having volunteered when she was young. Two of her cousins received Little City services.
[10]
U.S. House of Representatives
[
edit
]
Elections
[
edit
]
2018
[
edit
]
Newman supported
Bernie Sanders
in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary in Illinois and
Hillary Clinton
in the
November general election
. The day after Clinton lost, she applied to the Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership.
[11]
By January 1, 2017, Newman had closed her business to turn her attention to politics full-time.
[11]
On April 10, 2017, Newman declared her candidacy for
Illinois's 3rd congressional district
,
[12]
challenging Democratic incumbent
Dan Lipinski
, a member of the
Blue Dog Coalition
,
[13]
who had held the seat since 2005, succeeding
his father
, who held it for 22 years.
[14]
[b]
Newman ran to Lipinski's left, and was endorsed by the
Human Rights Campaign
, the
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
,
[15]
Planned Parenthood
,
[16]
EMILY's List
,
[17]
the
SEIU
state council,
[18]
National Nurses United
, the Illinois Federation of Teachers,
[19]
the
Feminist Majority Foundation
,
[5]
NARAL Pro-Choice America
,
Democracy for America
,
MoveOn
, and
Our Revolution
,
[20]
and several Democratic members of Congress, including Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand
of New York
[21]
and Representatives
Luis Gutierrez
and
Jan Schakowsky
, both Illinois Democrats.
[22]
Lipinski defeated Newman with 51.2% of the vote to her 48.8%.
[23]
[24]
2020
[
edit
]
Newman ran against Lipinski again in the
2020 Democratic primary
.
[25]
She received endorsements from Representative
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
[26]
and presidential candidates Senators
Elizabeth Warren
,
Bernie Sanders
,
[27]
Cory Booker
, and
Kirsten Gillibrand
, as well as Chicago Mayor
Lori Lightfoot
.
[28]
The race had special significance for progressive women's groups after other candidates they supported lost primary races earlier in March in Texas and the principal women candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination had ended their campaigns.
[28]
On March 17, 2020, Newman narrowly defeated Lipinski in the Democratic primary with 47.26% of the vote to his 44.72%.
[29]
[30]
Her victory ended the Lipinski family's 38-year hold on the district.
Bill Lipinski
won the seat in 1983, when it was numbered as the
5th district
(it has been the 3rd since 1993), and handed it to Dan in 2005.
On November 3, Newman won the general election, defeating Republican
Will County
Supervisor
Mike Fricilone. With 88% of the vote counted, she led by about 30,000 votes, and had received about 55% of the vote.
[31]
[32]
[33]
[34]
2022
[
edit
]
In October 2021, Democrats in the Illinois legislature passed a new congressional map that radically changed Newman's district. The map placed Newman's home into a district with Representative
Jesus "Chuy" Garcia
, who represents a majority-Hispanic district. Newman announced that she would run in the redrawn 6th District, which overlaps her original district. She thus challenged incumbent Representative
Sean Casten
in the 2022 Democratic primary.
[1]
In the redrawn 6th district, 41% of voters are from Newman's former district and 23% are from Casten's former district, according to calculations by
Daily Kos
.
[35]
On June 28, 2022, Newman lost the primary to Casten.
[36]
Tenure
[
edit
]
In January 2021, Newman voted to impeach President
Donald Trump
.
[37]
In November 2021, Newman voted for the
Build Back Better Act
, which passed the House of Representatives.
[38]
House Ethics Committee review
[
edit
]
In 2021, the
House Ethics Committee
launched a review into Newman after she was accused of having signed a contract promising
Iymen Chehade
, a pro-Palestinian activist and potential primary opponent, a job in her congressional office in exchange for Chehade's not entering the primary; other documents alleged to be included in the review also stipulated that Newman adopt several policy positions with respect to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
[39]
[40]
[41]
[42]
[43]
Federal Elections Commission
filings show that Newman hired Chehade as a foreign policy advisor through her campaign, paying him $54,000 since the second half of 2021, more than twice what other employees working similar jobs were paid; Chehade was Newman's highest-paid employee.
[44]
[41]
[45]
In her contract with him, Newman also agreed to adopt specific stances with respect to BDS-related legislation and aid to Israel, and to refuse to work with a number of pro-Israel organizations, such as the
Jewish National Fund
.
[42]
[43]
On October 15, 2021, the
Office of Congressional Ethics
voted unanimously that there was reason to believe that Newman's agreement with Chehade constituted a de facto bribe and to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee.
[46]
[47]
[48]
Newman's representatives responded that Newman "cooperate[d] completely with the review" but that the OCE had "prejudged the matter from the beginning", also making it clear this was "political theatre".
[39]
On February 3, 2022,
FACT
filed a complaint with the
Federal Elections Commission
on the grounds that Newman's continued payments to Chehade, a witness in the Congressional investigations, interfered with the investigation.
[49]
Newman denied wrongdoing, calling the complaint politically motivated;
CREW
said that the continued payments raised "serious ethics questions".
[49]
In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Newman had made a similar contract guaranteeing a job to another person, Shadin Maali, who had previously conducted political outreach for Chehade.
[50]
[51]
[52]
The matter was closed in the late summer of 2022 after the primary election. No investigative subcommittee investigation was empaneled because it was not deemed needed and the matter was terminated with no violation cited.
Committee assignments
[
edit
]
Caucus memberships
[
edit
]
Political positions
[
edit
]
Newman hanging a
Trans flag
across from
Marjorie Taylor Greene
's office
Newman represents what has long been the most conservative district of the eight that divide Chicago. Described as "ancestrally Democratic,
culturally conservative
, multiethnic and viscerally
patriotic
",
[56]
the 3rd is the only Chicago-based district with a
Cook Partisan Voting Index
lower than D+15. Newman identifies as a progressive Democrat. She supports
abortion rights
, gun control, a $15 minimum wage,
[7]
and a
Green New Deal
.
[57]
[58]
Her campaigns were supported by
Justice Democrats
, an organization that funds
progressive
candidates, in both 2018
[59]
and 2020.
[14]
The
Sunrise Movement
supported her campaign in 2020.
[60]
LGBTQ+ rights
[
edit
]
Newman also supports the
Equality Act
, saying, "Without the Equality Act, this nation will never live up to its principles of freedom and equality." She says that she entered politics to make the world a better place for her
transgender
daughter. After Republican freshman
Marjorie Taylor Greene
attacked the bill as "disgusting, immoral, and evil" on the House floor, Newman hung a
Transgender Pride flag
outside her Washington office, which is directly across from Greene's.
[61]
Israel
[
edit
]
Newman was one of eight Democrats to vote against the funding of the
Iron Dome
in
Israel
.
[62]
Electoral history
[
edit
]
2018
[
edit
]
2020
[
edit
]
2022
[
edit
]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Newman lives in
La Grange
, west of Chicago,
[29]
with her husband, Jim. They married in 1996 and have two children.
[65]
[61]
Newman's daughter is
transgender
, and Newman has spoken about how the lack of support for transgender people influenced her to run for office.
[66]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Mutnick, Ally; Kapos, Shia; Beavers, Olivia (October 29, 2021).
"Illinois Dems carve up liberal giant-slayer's district in new congressionial map"
.
Politico
.
Archived
from the original on February 1, 2022.
- ^
Grant, Rebecca (July 29, 2019).
"Marie Newman Could Shape the Future of the Democratic Party"
.
The Nation
.
- ^
a
b
Garmes, Kyle (January 30, 2018).
"Primary challenge first for Lipinski; Newman sets run"
.
The Beverly Review
. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
"2020 Voter Guide to the Primary Election | Marie Newman - D"
.
WTTW News
. Retrieved
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2020
.
- ^
a
b
Felsenthal, Carol (January 17, 2018).
"Could a Political Newcomer Unseat Illinois's Most Conservative Democrat?"
.
Chicago Magazine
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Newman, Marie (March 18, 2020).
"How Marie Newman Unseated An Eight-Term Illinois Congressman"
.
Elle
(Interview). Interviewed by Rose Minutaglio
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Shugerman, Emily (December 2, 2017).
"Meet the woman taking on one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress"
.
The Independent
. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
Ortiz, Alex (June 18, 2017).
"Q&A: Marie Newman talks run for Congress against Dan Lipinski"
.
Herald-News
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
"Little City Names Marie Newman as Chief Executive Officer"
(Press release). Little City Foundation. April 3, 2023
. Retrieved
April 8,
2023
.
- ^
Rymut, Elizabeth (March 28, 2023).
"Former congresswoman named new CEO at Little City"
.
Daily Herald
. Retrieved
April 8,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Traister, Rebecca (January 19, 2018).
"2018's Record Number of Women Candidates Are Set to Blow Up Politics As Usual"
.
The Cut
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
"Morning Spin: Lipinski facing challenge from progressive Democrat in Southwest Side congressional district"
.
Chicago Tribune
. April 10, 2017
. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
Berman, Russell (February 7, 2018).
"House Democrats Turn on One of Their Own"
.
The Atlantic
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Stolberg, Sheryl M. (March 18, 2020).
"Marie Newman Beats Dan Lipinski, Democratic Incumbent, in Illinois House Primary"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
Chacar, Henriette; Grim, Ryan (December 12, 2017).
"A Primary Challenge to a Right-Wing Democrat in Illinois Divides the Resistance"
.
The Intercept
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
"Planned Parenthood Action Fund Endorses Marie Newman for Illinois' 3rd District"
.
Planned Parenthood
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Marans, Daniel (February 2, 2018).
"Anti-Abortion Democrat Loses Key Support To Progressive Challenger"
.
Huffington Post
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Skiba, Katherine; Byrne, John (February 2, 2018).
"Lipinski challenger Newman gets backing from SEIU, EMILY's List"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Moattar, Daniel (February 7, 2018).
"Can the Democratic Party's Left Flank Win in 2018? This Illinois Primary Could Be a Bellwether"
.
In These Times
.
ISSN
0160-5992
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Levitz, Eric (January 19, 2018).
"The Resistance Is Turning Its Fire on a Conservative Democrat"
. Daily Intelligencer.
New York Magazine
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Relman, Eliza (December 2, 2017).
"Gillibrand and top liberal groups are throwing their weight behind an Illinois woman challenging a 'radically conservative' House Democrat"
.
Business Insider
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Korecki, Natasha (January 18, 2018).
"Chicago Democrats throw Lipinski under the bus ? and blame Trump"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
Almukhtar, Sarah; Andrews, Wilson; Bloch, Matthew; Bowers, Jeremy; -Giratikanon, Tom; Lee, Jasmine C.; Martin, Jonathan; Stack, Liam (March 21, 2018).
"Illinois Primary Election Results: Lipinski Wins Primary in 3rd House District"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
Byrne, John (March 21, 2018).
"Democrat Marie Newman concedes to U.S. Rep. Lipinski on social media, in quiet end to tough primary race"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
March 17,
2020
.
- ^
Pearson, Rick (October 8, 2020).
"Marie Newman, progressive challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, picks up endorsements from 17 local officials"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
Edmondson, Catie (September 17, 2019).
"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Back First 2020 Challenger to Sitting Democrat"
.
New York Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
Frazin, Rachel (September 10, 2019).
"Warren endorses Lipinski challenger Marie Newman"
.
The Hill
. Retrieved
March 18,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
"Stung by Losses, Progressive Women Aim for a Win in Illinois"
.
The New York Times
. Associated Press. March 13, 2020
. Retrieved
March 20,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
O'Connell, Patrick M. (March 18, 2020).
"Businesswoman Marie Newman's victory in Democratic primary ends decades of Lipinski reign"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
March 19,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Illinois State Board of Elections.
"Election Vote Total Results"
. Archived from
the original
on January 28, 2021
. Retrieved
March 3,
2021
.
- ^
Schulte, Sarah (October 21, 2020).
"Marie Newman, Mike Fricilone Vie for Illinois 3rd Congressional District Seat"
.
ABC7 Chicago
. Retrieved
November 11,
2020
.
- ^
"Newman Elected in 3rd Congressional District"
.
MySuburbanLife.com
. November 4, 2020
. Retrieved
November 11,
2020
.
- ^
"Illinois Election Results 2020"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
November 11,
2020
.
- ^
Illinois Election Results: Third Congressional District
.
New York Times
, November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^
Daily Kos
Elections (@DKElections) (October 29, 2021).
"We calculated that Marie Newman represents 41% of the new 6th District's residents vs. just 23% for Sean Casten. There's no requirement that members live in their congressional district, so just because Newman's home was drawn out of the district doesn't mean she can't win #IL06"
.
Twitter
.
Archived
from the original on February 1, 2022.
- ^
Herguth, Robert (June 28, 2022).
"Sean Casten handily defeats Marie Newman in 6th Congressional District primary"
.
Chicago Sun-Times
. Retrieved
July 14,
2022
.
- ^
Swanson, Lorraine (January 14, 2021).
"Marie Newman Votes To Impeach Trump, Worries About More Violence"
.
news.yahoo.com
.
- ^
Ortiz, Alex (November 21, 2021).
"Foster, Newman, Underwood vote for Build Back Better bill"
.
Shaw Local
.
- ^
a
b
"Ethics office says Reps. Newman, Lamborn may have broken law"
.
AP NEWS
. January 24, 2022
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
Pearson, Rick (December 10, 2021).
"House Ethics Committee extends investigation of complaint against U.S. Rep. Marie Newman into 2022"
.
The Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
December 24,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
Snodgrass, Erin.
"Rep. Marie Newman hired a political rival to serve as a 'foreign policy' advisor. She was accused of bribing him to stay out of the race: Daily Beast report"
.
Business Insider
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Kampeas, Ron.
"Congresswoman accused of adopting anti-Israel stance as bribe to would-be opponent"
.
The Times of Israel
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Perano, Ursula; Pagliery, Jose (February 3, 2022).
"New Twist in Dem Rep's Bribery Scandal: Negotiating Anti-Israel Positions"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
Bredderman, William; Perano, Ursula (February 1, 2022).
"Dem Rep. Now Has Rival She Allegedly Bribed on Her Payroll"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
February 1,
2021
.
- ^
Voght, Kara (February 2, 2022).
"A Progressive Lawmaker Claims She Did Nothing Wrong. Her Former Allies Aren't So Sure"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
"Rep. Marie Newman of Illinois may have bribed a possible primary opponent to stay out of the race in exchange for a job in her office, House ethics body unanimously finds"
.
uk.news.yahoo.com
. January 24, 2022
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
CST Editorial Board (January 27, 2022).
"Get to bottom of ethics probe on Rep. Marie Newman before June election"
.
Chicago Sun-Times
. Retrieved
February 7,
2022
.
- ^
Cox, Chelsey.
"Ill. Rep. Marie Newman's alleged political bribe is focus of Ethics Committee investigation"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
February 14,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Sweet, Lynn (February 10, 2022).
"Rep. Marie Newman keeps on political payroll man who is key witness in House ethics panel probe"
.
Chicago Sun-Times
. Retrieved
February 14,
2022
.
- ^
Bredderman, William (February 19, 2022).
"The Other Aide Entangled in Dem Rep's Bribery Scandal"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
March 3,
2022
.
- ^
Kapos, Shia (February 22, 2022).
"Capitol confrontations over masks"
.
POLITICO
. Retrieved
March 3,
2022
.
- ^
"The Other Aide Entangled in Dem Rep's Bribery Scandal"
.
uk.news.yahoo.com
. February 19, 2022
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
"Committees and Caucuses | Representative Marie Newman"
.
newman.house.gov
. January 3, 2021. Archived from
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on January 21, 2021
. Retrieved
February 2,
2021
.
- ^
"Caucus Membrs"
. US House of Representatives
. Retrieved
January 3,
2021
.
- ^
"Members"
.
House Pro Choice Caucus
. August 19, 2021.
- ^
Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005).
The Almanac of American Politics 2006
. Washington, D.C.: National Journal Group. p.
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.
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.
- ^
Conley, Julia (September 17, 2019).
"Applauding Progressive Challenger for Championing Green New Deal and Medicare for All, Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Marie Newman"
.
Common Dreams
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Slowik, Ted (July 19, 2017).
"Slowik: Lipinski facing Democratic challenger Newman in March Primary"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
February 11,
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.
- ^
Pearson, Rick (September 17, 2019).
"Freshman progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Marie Newman's Democratic primary challenge to Rep. Dan Lipinsk"
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Scott, Dean (March 20, 2020).
"Sunrise Movement Claims Wins on Green New Deal Candidates"
.
Bloomberg Law
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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Shepherd, Katie (February 25, 2021).
"Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted for attacking colleague's transgender daughter: 'Sickening, pathetic, unimaginably cruel'
"
.
The Washington Post
.
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0190-8286
. Retrieved
February 25,
2021
.
- ^
Oswald, Rachel (September 23, 2021).
"House passes Israel Iron Dome funding with some Democratic defections"
.
Roll Call
. Retrieved
October 20,
2021
.
- ^
"Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY"
.
Illinois State Board of Elections
. Archived from
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on March 12, 2021
. Retrieved
October 23,
2019
.
- ^
"Illinois Primary Results 2020"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
January 15,
2021
.
- ^
Grant, Rebecca (July 29, 2019).
"Marie Newman Could Shape the Future of the Democratic Party"
.
The Nation
. Retrieved
March 17,
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.
- ^
Burns, Katelyn (June 16, 2021).
"Evie and Rep. Marie Newman Didn't Ask for the Spotlight"
.
Teen Vogue
. Retrieved
July 1,
2021
.
External links
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