Marie Newman: Illinois 6th Congressional District Candidate

LAGRANGE, IL — Ahead of Illinois' June 28 primary elections, Patch distributed questionnaires to candidates running in contested races in the Democratic and Republican parties, including the nine candidates running for a two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Illinois’ newly remapped 6th Congressional District.

On the Democratic side, two currently seated congress people – Marie Newman and Sean Casten are battling to retain their seat in the House. Charles Hughes, a one-time precinct captain for former U.S. Rep. Bill Lipinski, is the third Democrat on the ticket.

For the Republicans, Gary Grasso, Scott Kasper, Rob Cruz, Catherine A. O’Shea and Keith Pekau are seeking the nod for their party’s nomination in the November midterm elections.
The remapped IL-06 includes all or sections of the suburban Cook Count communities of Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Worth, Crestwood, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Hickory Hills, Justice, and extending into the Chicago neighborhoods of Clearing, Beverly and Mount Greenwood; and in DuPage, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst, Darien, Hinsdale and Willow Springs.

Name
Marie Newman
Campaign website
http://marienewmanforcongress....
What county do you live in?
Cook
City or town of residence
La Grange
Office sought
U.S. Representative - 6th District
Party affiliation
Democrat
Education
Born at Little Company of Mary Hospital and raised in St. Barnabas Parish, I learned from an early age the importance of staying engaged in my community. As I grew up, my family relocated to Palos Park, where I attended Carl Sandburg High School and worked at Orland Square Mall. To cover my college tuition at Marquette University, I signed up for a work-study program, cleaning at the Food Service and hitting the books in between. I then completed my degree at the University of Wisconsin. I worked my way up to become a partner in one of the largest ad agencies in the U.S. and later left to start my own successful consulting business.

After my husband Jim and I got married, we moved to Glen Ellyn where we started our family. When one of my children was severely bullied in school, another mom and I wrote a book establishing a framework for school districts to address bullying — not just talk about it, but tackle it head-on. This framework was ultimately adopted by Glen Ellyn Schools and later became the statewide framework to address bullying from then-Gov. Quinn. I founded a national non-profit program called “Team Up To Stop Bullying” with my partner, Sears, to address the problem—ultimately expanding it nationwide.

I have also served as a state and national advocate for health care rights, income equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and common-sense gun safety. The Sixth District needs someone with a track record of getting things done — a coalition builder and a fighter for the middle-class. We need an advocate to grow small businesses, protect health care rights, and serve as a champion for education and training programs that lead to real jobs to move our district forward. I strongly believe in reducing health care and prescription drug costs, guarding Social Security, restoring workers’ rights, protecting women’s health care, caring for our veterans, and keeping Medicare safe.

Occupation
U.S. Representative (IL03) since 2021
Family
I was born and raised here in a union family, and I have lived in every part of this community - from Chicago to La Grange to Glen Ellyn. My husband and I have two adult children, and we currently live in La Grange with our crazy beagle, Iggy.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No
Age
58
Previous public office, appointive or elective
Yes. I'm the current U.S. Representative for Illinois' 3rd District, which covers most of the newly drawn 6th District.
Why are you seeking this office?
I’m running for Congress in the new 6th District because as our economy recovers, we need someone who does the work. Last year, Axios called me the 3rd most active freshman in Congress.
I have already passed five pieces of bipartisan legislation to boost local small businesses, bring jobs to the Southwest Side and suburbs, improve our aging public transit and rail freight systems — and I’m nowhere near being done.

A critical part of this job calls for doing the work on the ground, tackling hyper-local issues to keep our communities safe and our neighbors cared for. I have convened colleagues at every level of government and leaders in industry to address problems facing communities in our district everyday. I’ve worked in close collaboration with local, state, and county officials in our district to solve complex flooding problems, train delays, and postal issues.

We need someone with a plan to address the big issues that will affect future generations while also tackling the everyday issues that affect our lives each day — not just someone who talks a big game.

To drive innovation and invest in our people, we need to pass big and bold legislation that will rebuild our infrastructure and combat climate change with green and sustainable technologies, create good-paying union jobs, protect quality, affordable healthcare for all, and lower taxes by establishing new programs that keep more money in everyone’s pockets.
Together, I believe we can make the Southwest Side and south and west suburbs more attractive to middle class families, workers, and small businesses alike.

I have lived in all parts of the new 6th District, I’m proud to run for re-election to represent the neighbors I’ve known for decades. I’ll put in the work every day to keep delivering results for residents of the Southwest Side and surrounding suburbs.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The rising cost of living and growing inequality is of top concern to me and my neighbors across the 6th District. As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I've worked closely with my colleagues to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top.

We have a system that largely benefits the top earners, while the rest of us struggle to pay for rent, student loans, groceries, child care, health care, and more. I believe we need to do much more to raise wages and support the middle class, and if I am reelected to serve the people of the new 6th District, I will continue fighting to build an economy that works for everyone by fighting for policies that put middle-class families over corporate special interests.

We can raise wages, strengthen workers bargaining power, and create safer working conditions by strengthening organized labor. When unions are strong, they uplift wages for everyone, including non-union workers. To get there, we have a bold vision for growing union presence and membership in communities across the Sixth District. I am a proud original co-sponsor of the

Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would be the biggest expansion in collective bargaining in decades.

We also need to embrace the idea that growing our economy and stopping climate change are not mutually exclusive pursuits. I support advancing the Thrive Agenda, a comprehensive action plan for addressing climate change and inequality by creating a green economy built by good paying union jobs.I plan to work closely alongside organized labor and American manufacturers to make sure that their members have all the skills they need to thrive and to lead our country to a green energy and green infrastructure future. I was proud to pass my legislation, the Rail Center for Excellence Bill, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will establish a center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to study high-speed rail and green technologies, which will innovate our transportation systems and create hundreds of jobs.

One of the greatest contributors to growing inequity in America is our broken health care system. I believe the best way to address the rising costs of health care, and to give American families a path to financial freedom, is to enact universal health care through Medicare for All. Adopting Medicare for All and rolling it out in stages will greatly reduce the cost of health care not only for families by removing costs like doctor visits, ambulance trips, blood tests, and completely covering vision, dental, long-term care, and prescription drugs as well. These costs are paid for by ensuring everyone in the country pays their taxes, raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy, and appropriating federal funds to ensure the process is administered smoothly.

As a former management consultant and small business owner, I advocate for enacting this policy in phases so that it can be implemented in a measured fashion over time, Starting with our most vulnerable populations and people over 55 years of age. This initial rollout will allow us to test, refine, and roll out further.

In addition to fixing our broken healthcare system, we need to make it easier for families to raise their children. I am a strong advocate for paid family leave and a universal child care system for children 0-5 and afterschool programs with sliding scale and affordable pricing. For these reasons, I was an outspoken proponent of the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House, which would make it easier for families to get ahead.

Through addressing all these pieces together, we can finally get to an economy that supports everyone, not just those at the very top.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a mom, a former small business owner, a non-profit leader, and a long-time community advocate. In Congress, I have fought for universal health care, to protect women’s rights, and for an economy that works for all, not just some.

I am running for re-election because the new 6th District needs a representative that is a doer, not a talker. I have been a strong voice in DC, bringing over $240 million dollars to the district in just one year, and I’ve been active on the ground solving problems with community leaders.

I was born and raised on Chicago’s Southwest Side, and I learned the value of hard work, problem solving, and community service from a young age. I worked three jobs to pay for college, I’ve lived without health care, and I’ve known the struggle of deciding which bills to pay.

As we watch inflation climb and health care costs soar, we need our representatives in Congress to get to work for middle class families. Unfortunately, corporate greed and its corrupt influence on politics is one of the main culprits holding that progress back. Many in Congress will not support popular and transformative legislation because they view corporate donors and their wealthy friends as their bosses. I do not and never will accept corporate contributions because my constituents are who I report to, not corporations.

I’m fighting to address student debt relief and building more pathways to vocational school, community college and public colleges.

I’m fighting to tackle the root causes of gun violence by investing in our communities, and building a country rooted in equity for all regardless of your zip code.

I’m fighting to build a green economy - investing in green infrastructure to fix our crumbling roads and bridges while addressing the crisis of climate change.

Anybody can talk about these ideas, but I actually have a track record of getting things done - and getting them done quickly.

If you are challenging an incumbent, how would you perform differently if elected?

I am the incumbent in this race.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

With Roe v. Wade and women's bodily autonomy under attack, we need a proven fighter in this district who knows what's at stake. I've been fighting for women's rights for 30 years, and there is no chance I'm stopping now. We need to codify Roe v. Wade into law.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

To cover my college tuition at Marquette University, I signed up for a work-study program, cleaning at the Food Service and hitting the books in between. I then completed my degree at the University of Wisconsin.

I worked my way up to become a partner in one of the largest ad agencies in the U.S. and later left to start my own successful consulting business.

After my husband Jim and I got married, we moved to Glen Ellyn where we started our family. When one of my children was severely bullied in school, another mom and I wrote a book establishing a framework for school districts to address bullying — not just talk about it, but tackle it head-on. This framework was ultimately adopted by Glen Ellyn Schools and later became the statewide framework to address bullying from then-Gov. Quinn.

I founded a national non-profit program called “Team Up To Stop Bullying” with my partner, Sears, to address the problem—ultimately expanding it nationwide. I have also served as a state and national advocate for health care rights, income equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and common-sense gun safety.

The Sixth District needs someone with a track record of getting things done — a coalition builder and a fighter for the middle-class.

What was your first paying job, and what did you learn from it?
I scrubbed tables and floors in college, and that taught me the importance of hard work. I simultaneously went for years without health care in my 20s, and that is why I am incredibly supportive of rolling out Medicare for All over time. Health care is a right, and our current for-profit system is not sufficient in providing every American with the quality care they need.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My mom always said, "Wherever you go, be sure to bring sugar in case life gives you lemons and you need to make lemonade."