https://arab.news/yk396
- Presumptive Congresswoman Marie Newman unseated long-time Illinois incumbent who marginalized the community
CHICAGO: Marie Newman, who became the Democratic Party nominee for the 3rd Congressional District after unseating seven-term incumbent Dan Lipinski, said she will give Arab Americans a voice during her term.
Newman won the March Democratic Primary election, making her the party鈥檚 choice to fill the office in the Nov. 3 general election.
She faces Republican newcomer Mike Fricilone in a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic, and she is expected to easily win the seat.
The 3rd District also has the eighth-largest Arab voting population in the country, according to a study conducted recently by the New York Times.
鈥淔or the last few decades, Arab and Muslim Americans in the 3rd District have largely been left out of the conversation,鈥� Newman told Arab News.
鈥淲e need leadership in Illinois鈥檚 3rd District that鈥檚 truly inclusive, and I plan to be a voice for every single person in our community.鈥�
Newman was feted at a rally organized by two of Chicagoland鈥檚 largest community-based organizations: The American Arab Chamber of Commerce and the American Palestine Club.
At the rally, she vowed to listen to their concerns and to give them a voice in her policy decision-making.
鈥淲hen I decided to enter this race, we formed an Arab- and Muslim-American advisory council, led by my campaign Chairwoman Shadin Maali, to deepen and significantly broaden our relationships in the community,鈥� Newman said.
鈥淔rom there, we worked side by side to better understand universal issues as well as those issues more prominent in the community.鈥�
Newman was feted at a rally organized by two of Chicagoland鈥檚 largest community-based organizations: The American Arab Chamber of Commerce and the American Palestine Club. (Supplied)
Maali is a long-time Palestinian-American activist who helped Newman unseat Lipinski in the election with 52,384 votes to Lipinski鈥檚 49,568.
The progressive centrist also easily overcame two other challengers, including Palestinian-American activist Rush Darwish, who in his first-ever campaign raised more than $500,000 but only received 5.7 percent of the 111,000 votes cast.
鈥淚鈥檓 indebted to the community for their counsel, partnership and friendship,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to expanding our partnership to create real change on the ground, to address racial injustice and income inequality, to elevate small businesses, to guarantee health care for all, and to address critical foreign-relations issues. We鈥檙e here to build bridges and bring people together to solve problems.鈥�
Newman earned a BA in journalism and business from the University of Wisconsin. As of her 2020 campaign, she had worked in advertising, consulting and non-profit advocacy.
She founded a non-profit organization, Team Up to Stop Bullying, which sought to address bullying among schoolchildren.
In speaking at the Arab-American rally, Newman did not hesitate to take the bull by the horns and address one of society鈥檚 most important issues, one especially felt by Arab and Muslim Americans.
鈥淪ystemic racism is real. Bigotry is real. Racial injustice is real and we must address it. We鈥檙e the first to bring law enforcement and activists together to talk about the injustices and stereotyping and the racial injustices imparted by police,鈥� Newman said at the outdoor event.
鈥淢ost cops are great. They鈥檙e very talented. They work very hard and do a lot of different jobs, not just policing. They鈥檙e mental-health experts, they have to be housing experts. They have to be food and security experts. They have to do a lot in one day,鈥� she stressed.
鈥淟et鈥檚 bring law enforcement together more with activists to solve our systemic racism problems, because we all have to do this together. We can鈥檛 yell at each other all day. It doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�
Newman blasted President Donald Trump, blaming him for the fact that America has the highest COVID-19 infection rate of any country in the world.
Johns Hopkins University and Medical Center reported this week that the US leads the world with the highest infection and death rates, with 6.2 million cases and 188,000 deaths
Newman told attendees that the pandemic has brought the district and region together. 鈥淭he amazing thing (is that) through COVID, we鈥檝e all come together in a really beautiful way. Bridgeview is helping the 14th Ward, the 14th Ward is helping Summit, Joliet is helping the 11th Ward and we鈥檙e all coming together. And that鈥檚 from the coalition we built on the campaign. That wasn鈥檛 happening before,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he pandemic has been a tragic teacher and a travesty. It鈥檚 a travesty because this pandemic didn鈥檛 have to affect us in this way. This president has very clearly made it clear that he鈥檚 cruel and he doesn鈥檛 know how to run a country. We鈥檙e all now suffering because of it,鈥� she added.
鈥淎lmost 190,000 souls we鈥檝e lost. If that isn鈥檛 enough motivation to vote, I don鈥檛 know what is. Please use that motivation in the voting booth.鈥�
Newman said one of her priorities is also to 鈥渂uild a better health-care system,鈥� which she described as 鈥渋ncredibly broken.鈥�
She urged the adoption of 鈥淢edicare for all,鈥� adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a system that鈥檚 already in place. We can make it better and roll it out for everyone.鈥�