Marie Newman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byDan Lipinski
Succeeded byDelia Ramirez (redistricting)
Personal details
Born
Marie Klassen

(1964-04-13) April 13, 1964 (age 60)
Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Jim Newman
​
(m. 1996)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison (BA)
Marie Newman's voice
Marie Newman speaks on Transgender Day of Remembrance and honors those killed
Recorded November 17, 2021

Marie Newman (née 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

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

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

Elections

2018

Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 3

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 Gutiérrez and Jan Schakowsky, both Illinois Democrats.[22] Lipinski defeated Newman with 51.2% of the vote to her 48.8%.[23][24]

2020

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 3

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

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 6

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 Jesús "Chuy" García, 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

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

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

Caucus memberships

Political positions

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

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

Newman was one of eight Democrats to vote against the funding of the Iron Dome in Israel.[62]

Electoral history

2018

Illinois 3rd congressional district Democratic primary, 2018[63]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Lipinski (incumbent) 48,675 51.13
Democratic Marie Newman 46,530 48.87
Total votes 95,205 100.0

2020

Illinois 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, 2020[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marie Newman 52,384 47.26
Democratic Dan Lipinski (incumbent) 49,568 44.72
Democratic Rush Darwish 6,351 5.73
Democratic Charles Hughes 2,549 2.30
Total votes 110,852 100.0
Illinois's 3rd congressional district, 2020[64]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marie Newman 172,997 56.4
Republican Mike Fricilone 133,851 43.6
Total votes 306,848 100.0

2022

Illinois 6th Congressional District Democratic primary, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sean Casten 44,414 67.8
Democratic Marie Newman 19,031 29.1
Democratic Charles Hughes 2,018 3.1
Total votes 65,463 100.0

Personal life

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

Notes

  1. ^ Sometimes described as a native of Beverly, her family lived in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, not Beverly township in central Illinois.[3]
  2. ^ The district was numbered as the 5th from 1983 to 1993.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Grant, Rebecca (July 29, 2019). "Marie Newman Could Shape the Future of the Democratic Party". The Nation.
  3. ^ a b Garmes, Kyle (January 30, 2018). "Primary challenge first for Lipinski; Newman sets run". The Beverly Review. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "2020 Voter Guide to the Primary Election | Marie Newman - D". WTTW News. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Felsenthal, Carol (January 17, 2018). "Could a Political Newcomer Unseat Illinois's Most Conservative Democrat?". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  6. ^ Newman, Marie (March 18, 2020). "How Marie Newman Unseated An Eight-Term Illinois Congressman". Elle (Interview). Interviewed by Rose Minutaglio. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Shugerman, Emily (December 2, 2017). "Meet the woman taking on one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress". The Independent. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  8. ^ Ortiz, Alex (June 18, 2017). "Q&A: Marie Newman talks run for Congress against Dan Lipinski". Herald-News. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  9. ^ "Little City Names Marie Newman as Chief Executive Officer" (Press release). Little City Foundation. April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  10. ^ Rymut, Elizabeth (March 28, 2023). "Former congresswoman named new CEO at Little City". Daily Herald. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Morning Spin: Lipinski facing challenge from progressive Democrat in Southwest Side congressional district". Chicago Tribune. April 10, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  13. ^ Berman, Russell (February 7, 2018). "House Democrats Turn on One of Their Own". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Planned Parenthood Action Fund Endorses Marie Newman for Illinois' 3rd District". Planned Parenthood. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  17. ^ Marans, Daniel (February 2, 2018). "Anti-Abortion Democrat Loses Key Support To Progressive Challenger". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  18. ^ Skiba, Katherine; Byrne, John (February 2, 2018). "Lipinski challenger Newman gets backing from SEIU, EMILY's List". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Levitz, Eric (January 19, 2018). "The Resistance Is Turning Its Fire on a Conservative Democrat". Daily Intelligencer. New York Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Korecki, Natasha (January 18, 2018). "Chicago Democrats throw Lipinski under the bus — and blame Trump". Politico. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Edmondson, Catie (September 17, 2019). "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Back First 2020 Challenger to Sitting Democrat". New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  27. ^ Frazin, Rachel (September 10, 2019). "Warren endorses Lipinski challenger Marie Newman". The Hill. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ a b Illinois State Board of Elections. "Election Vote Total Results". Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  31. ^ Schulte, Sarah (October 21, 2020). "Marie Newman, Mike Fricilone Vie for Illinois 3rd Congressional District Seat". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  32. ^ "Newman Elected in 3rd Congressional District". MySuburbanLife.com. November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  33. ^ "Illinois Election Results 2020". Politico. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  34. ^ Illinois Election Results: Third Congressional District. New York Times, November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ Herguth, Robert (June 28, 2022). "Sean Casten handily defeats Marie Newman in 6th Congressional District primary". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  37. ^ Swanson, Lorraine (January 14, 2021). "Marie Newman Votes To Impeach Trump, Worries About More Violence". news.yahoo.com.
  38. ^ Ortiz, Alex (November 21, 2021). "Foster, Newman, Underwood vote for Build Back Better bill". Shaw Local.
  39. ^ a b "Ethics office says Reps. Newman, Lamborn may have broken law". AP NEWS. January 24, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ 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.
  43. ^ 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.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ 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.
  46. ^ "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.
  47. ^ 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.
  48. ^ Cox, Chelsey. "Ill. Rep. Marie Newman's alleged political bribe is focus of Ethics Committee investigation". USA Today. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  49. ^ 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.
  50. ^ Bredderman, William (February 19, 2022). "The Other Aide Entangled in Dem Rep's Bribery Scandal". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  51. ^ Kapos, Shia (February 22, 2022). "Capitol confrontations over masks". POLITICO. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  52. ^ "The Other Aide Entangled in Dem Rep's Bribery Scandal". uk.news.yahoo.com. February 19, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  53. ^ "Committees and Caucuses | Representative Marie Newman". newman.house.gov. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  54. ^ "Caucus Membrs". US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  55. ^ "Members". House Pro Choice Caucus. August 19, 2021.
  56. ^ Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). The Almanac of American Politics 2006. Washington, D.C.: National Journal Group. p. 567. ISBN 0-89234-111-4.
  57. ^ 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 March 20, 2020.
  58. ^ Slowik, Ted (July 19, 2017). "Slowik: Lipinski facing Democratic challenger Newman in March Primary". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  59. ^ Pearson, Rick (September 17, 2019). "Freshman progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Marie Newman's Democratic primary challenge to Rep. Dan Lipinsk". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  60. ^ Scott, Dean (March 20, 2020). "Sunrise Movement Claims Wins on Green New Deal Candidates". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  61. ^ a b Shepherd, Katie (February 25, 2021). "Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted for attacking colleague's transgender daughter: 'Sickening, pathetic, unimaginably cruel'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  62. ^ Oswald, Rachel (September 23, 2021). "House passes Israel Iron Dome funding with some Democratic defections". Roll Call. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  63. ^ "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  64. ^ "Illinois Primary Results 2020". Politico. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  65. ^ Grant, Rebecca (July 29, 2019). "Marie Newman Could Shape the Future of the Democratic Party". The Nation. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  66. ^ 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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U.S. House of Representatives Preceded byDan Lipinski Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Illinois's 3rd congressional district 2021–2023 Succeeded byDelia Ramirez U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) Preceded byWilliam Enyartas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United Statesas Former US Representative Succeeded byBobby Brightas Former US Representative
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