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NARAL Goes on Air Against Democrat Dan Lipinski

Abortion rights group has endorsed Marie Newman in primary

Illinois Rep. Daniel Lipinski is facing a primary challenge from the left. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Illinois Rep. Daniel Lipinski is facing a primary challenge from the left. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

NARAL Pro-Choice America is launching a five-figure TV buy attacking Illinois Democrat Dan Lipinski on Thursday.

The ad, shared first with Roll Call, hits the congressman for voting against the 2010 health care law, opposing abortion rights and background check and same-sex marriage legislation. It will run on cable TV in his 3rd District for a week.

Lipinski is facing a primary challenge from marketing consultant Marie Newman, who secured the backing of NARAL, MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Human Rights Campaign on Tuesday. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s leadership PAC endorsed Newman earlier this month. 

“Dan Lipinski is way out of step with his constituents and with Democratic party principles when it comes to women’s rights, LGBT equality, and the basic freedoms that Americans hold dear,” Mitchell Stille, NARAL’s National Campaign Director, said in a statement.

“We’re going to work every day between now and primary day to ensure the voters of his district know Dan’s real record and who he is really representing in Washington. It is far past time to Dump Dan,” Stille said.

[Gillibrand PAC Endorses Lipinski Challenger]

One of the most conservative members of the Democratic caucus, Lipinski is a co-chair of the Blue Dog Caucus. He is one of three Democrats still in the House who voted against the 2010 health care law. But he has not supported GOP efforts to repeal the law. The seven-term Democrat backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan for leader this year over Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Lipinski is also one of just three Democrats in the House, all of whom are men, who voted in January for legislation that would prohibit qualified health care plans from including abortion coverage. 

[Abortion Opponents Look for a Home in the Democratic Party]

Lipinski has maintained the Democratic party needs anti-abortion rights candidates to win back more seats in Congress. 

“There are people who I know in my district who say to me, ‘I was a Democrat but I can’t be a Democrat anymore because I’m pro-life,’” Lipinski told Roll Call in March. 

Newman ended the third quarter with $98,000. She’s loaned her campaign $50,000. Lipinksi had $1.5 million in the bank.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the 3rd District race Solid Democratic.

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