Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., won the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 3rd District Tuesday night, surviving an unexpected challenge from the Left in a race that highlighted a longstanding rift in the party over abortion rights.
Progressive candidate Marie Newman did not concede the race when speaking to supporters after midnight and Lipinski did not declare victory. But Lipinski eked out a victory with 50.9 percent of the vote to Newman’s 49.1 percent, with 97 percent of precincts reporting.
Newman, a nonprofit executive, hit Lipinski for his positions against legal abortion and LGBT rights, among other issues. The relatively conservative Democrat is expected to easily win re-election in November in the solidly blue district.
Lipinski found himself isolated in the last few months as multiple sitting colleagues endorsed his opponent in the race, which drew national attention. Newman, a non-profit executive, gained support from progressive heavy hitters, including Democracy for America, NARAL Pro-choice America and EMILY’s List.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added drama to the race when it apparently spurned Lipinski, providing no aid to the incumbent. This set off centrist Blue Dogs in the caucus, enraged that Lipinski was not being protected.
Blue Dog leaders were under the impression from a conversation earlier this year with DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan that Lipinski would be backed by the member organization. Roughly two weeks after DCCC came under fire, Lipinski told the Washington Examiner that he was now receiving support and resources from the party’s congressional campaign arm.
That was welcome news to head of the Blue Dog PAC, Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., who saw the DCCC’s initial move as an attempt to push the party toward an ideological purity test and a rejection of the assessment that after 2016 the party needed to follow its “big tent” philosophy.
“What I’m worried about is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, that theoretically wants members to pay dues to help support their mission, is not listening to members, and matter of fact, likely to work against you,” Schrader said.
Progressives like Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., nevertheless said Lipinski’s primary provided the perfect opportunity for Democrats to finally live up to their party platform and declare that supporting abortion rights is a requirement.
“This is a question of what does the party stand for? Do we believe that a women’s right to choose is a fundamental human right that should be a core principle of this party?” the California Democrat told the Examiner earlier this month. “I believe it should.”
Though the race launched a national discussion on Democrats’ internal debate over a possible abortion rights litmus test, locally the primary was about the entirety of Lipinski’s voting record.
The district voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the party’s presidential primary, and many argued Lipinski simply didn’t fit the Democratic stronghold anymore. Lipinski’s votes against the Affordable Care Act and rejection of legislation to provide so-called Dreamers a pathway to citizenship hurt him, helping Newman come within striking distance.
