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Jan. 28, 2008 – 5:30 a.m.

Feb. 5 Primary Foes to Illinois Dem

Lipinski Include a ‘Netroots’ Favorite
By Jack Mellyn, CQ Staff

The multi-candidate primary challenge faced by two-term Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, one
of the more moderate House Democrats, will provide an early test of the organizing
strength of the Web-based network of liberal activists known as the “netroots.”
It is, in fact, a very early test. Illinois’ Feb. 5 primaries, timed to coincide with the
state’s presidential contests on this campaign year’s “Super Tuesday,” are the earliest
congressional nominating elections ever held in any state.
Lipinski — who gained his seat in 2004 after the retirement of his father, 11-term
Democratic Rep. William O. Lipinski — has three opponents for the primary in the
Chicago-based 3rd District. The candidate drawing “netroots” support is Mark Pera, an
assistant state’s attorney for Cook County. Also in the running are Jerry Bennett, the
mayor of suburban Palos Hills, and local attorney Jim Capparelli.
Although the incumbent retains the edge over his rivals in funding and endorsements,
Pera’s candidacy has benefited from the attention and support of liberal Democrats
frustrated with the performance of the 110th Congress and the unwillingness they see
among moderate Democrats to strongly confront President Bush on the war in Iraq,
energy policy and social issues.
While Lipinski sided with most House Democrats on 93 percent of House votes that
broke mainly along party lines in 2007, that score in Congressional Quarterly’s “party
unity” study was the second-lowest among the 10 Democrats in Illinois’ U.S. House
delegation.
Pera argues that Lipinski’s record puts him out of step with the district. He said the
long-stated stereotype of the 3rd — located in and near Chicago’s Southwest Side and
heavily populated by ethnic Eastern and Southern Europeans — as a stronghold of
social conservatives is a myth.
“The ‘Reagan Democrat’ image of the district is just folklore at this point,” says Pera.
He claims that the district, which supported Democratic presidential challenger John
Kerry over Bush in 2004 by 59 percent to 41 percent, is a “mainstream Democratic”
district.
Pera has received endorsements and volunteer support from NARAL, a major national
organization that favors abortion rights, and from local chapters of Democracy for
America, a group that is dedicated to the election of “progressive” candidates.
Pera is also backed by Forrest Claypool and Manny Flores, prominent figures in the
local Democratic “reform” movement. Liberal bloggers recently launched an effort to
gain 5,000 online donations for Pera through the fundraising Web site ActBlue.
Strong fundraising by Pera since the end of September enabled him to shoot past
Lipinski in overall receipts for the campaign, according to the pre-primary report just
filed by the candidates to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Pera reported
$613,000 in receipts as of Jan. 16, including $262,000 from Pera’s personal accounts.
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Lipinski had $465,000, which included $234,000 from political committees but no
money from the incumbent’s own pockets.
But Pera, who was not well known to district voters as he entered the campaign, has
had to spend much more heavily on his bid than Lipinski has on his. As a result, Lipinski
had a big advantage in remaining cash on hand — $378,000 to Pera’s $74,000 — with
about three weeks to go before the primary.
Bennett reported raising $184,000 total, about $50,000 of that from his own accounts,
and had $30,000 left on hand. Capparelli, who had not yet released his pre-primary
report as of Friday afternoon, had less than $13,000 in receipts as of Sept. 30, at the
close of the previous FEC filing period.
Lipinski also was challenged in the Democratic primary when he first sought re-election
in 2006, winning with 54 percent and a 29 percentage-point margin over the nearer of
his two competitors. Asked whether he saw this race as more competitive than that
2006 primary, Lipinski said, “Certainly there’s been more money spent, so that makes
a difference.” Nonetheless, he said, “I intend to run the same campaign I ran in 2006,
and just try to get the message out about my record.”
Lipinski argues that his primary opponents have distorted his record, and cites the
support of local Democratic Party officials and the AFL-CIO as proof that he is a
Democrat in good standing.
On the issue of the Iraq war, Lipinski expressed frustration with the attacks on his
record. “There are some people who don’t like that I’ve tried to work with the
Republicans to get things done,” Lipinski said. “A lot of people are frustrated with the
lack of progress on ending the Iraq war. I think part of the reason that nothing
happened this year was the unwillingness to reach out to moderate Republicans who
are also frustrated and want to find a way to start bringing our troops home.”
Lipinski has joined with centrist Illinois Republican Rep. Mark Steven Kirk — who
represents the politically competitive 10th District in suburbs north of Chicago — to
promote a bill that would endorse the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group.
Lipinski said he intends to spend the last weeks of the primary campaign talking to as
many voters as possible and getting the word out about his record on constituent
service, trade policy, energy and environmental issues.
Both sides have attempted to address voter frustration over high gasoline prices, with
Pera distributing a mailer arguing that Lipinski has been too willing to vote for tax
breaks for oil companies, and Lipinski citing his record of supporting alternative and
clean energy legislation.
Though the Pera camp has attempted to frame Lipinski as too willing to compromise
with Bush, the case being made against the incumbent is not entirely ideological in
nature. Pera, for example, says Lipinski is too closely tied to friends and lobbying
clients of his father, who is a longtime ward leader in the Chicago Democratic
organization.
The incumbent’s primary rivals also are hoping to take advantage of any remaining
uneasiness among some 3rd District constituents over the father-to-son “handoff” of
the seat during the 2004 election campaign. The elder Lipinski won renomination in a
primary held in March that year, then announced his decision to retire late that year,
activating a provision in state law that allows party organizations to replace nominated
candidates if they drop out before a statutory deadline. Lipinski then headed a district
Democratic panel, dominated by his political associates, that chose as his replacement
the younger Lipinski, who had been teaching political science at University of
Tennessee and went on to easily win the general election that November.
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Former Chicago Alderman Dick Simpson says that the ultimate outcome of the race is
likely to depend heavily on organization.
“Elections are mostly a ground game in this district,” says Simpson. “It’s a question of,
‘Can the challengers get their message out and get enough volunteers to counteract
the local machine?’”
Simpson also noted that voter turnout is expected to be high, largely because of the
presence on the Feb. 5 ballot of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as a competitive candidate
for the Democratic presidential nomination, and that this has the potential to change
the dynamic of the House primary.
“If you’re a challenger, the easiest way to win an election is to change the electorate,”
Simpson said. “Certainly, with the presidential primary, you’ll expect a significant
bump in turnout.”
Chicago’s two major daily newspapers are split on the race. The Chicago Tribune on
Jan. 15 endorsed Lipinski for re-election, in an editorial that said “based on fundraising
and organization, it looks like Pera presents the stiffest challenge to Lipinski.” The
Chicago Sun-Times rebuffed both and endorsed Bennett, describing him as “broad-
thinking and action-oriented.”