Marie Newman won the Democratic primary for Illinois' 3rd District, the Associated Press projects, ousting eight-term incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski - though Lipinski indicated he would not concede the race just yet.
Newman led Lipinski by 4% - a total of of 3,808 votes - with 95% of precincts reporting as of 11:15 p.m. CST.
"As we close this evening, there are still votes to be counted in this race," Lipinski said in a statement. "It is very close. We may have to wait overnight or into the morning for the final vote count. I want to thank everyone for their support. Please stay safe and take of yourselves and your families."
If this primary seemed familiar – that’s because it was. The race was a do-over between Lipinski and progressive challenger Newman, joined this time by two new challengers: Rush Darwish and Charles M. Hughes.
Lipinski and Newman faced off in the Democratic primary in 2018, which Lipinski won by 2 points – a total of 2,145 votes separating him and Newman. The race garnered national attention pitting centrist and progressive voters against one another in what some saw as a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.
Lipinski entered the race as an eight-term lawmaker who took over the seat from his father and has consistently been seen as one of the most conservative Congressional Democrats. He has positioned himself against abortion rights, voted against the Affordable Care Act, and has taken other, more conservative stances on issues like immigration.
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Newman, a marketing consultant and anti-bullying advocate, challenged him from the left once again by centering her campaign on policies like Medicare For All, a wealth tax, universal child care and more – earning endorsements from progressive Democrats like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others.
Darwish is a former television news anchor and sports reporter who now owns a multimedia production company in Chicago. He advocated for, among other policies, a public option for health insurance, calling it “Medicare for all who want it,” over a single-payer system championed by Newman.
Hughes told the Sun-Times that he is a mechanic for Nicor Gas who previously worked in the political operation of former Rep. Bill Lipinski, his now-opponent’s father.
The district, encompassing Chicago's Southwest Side and its surrounding suburbs, is a Democratic stronghold, all but guaranteeing Newman a victory in November.
