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Marie Newman (née Klassen; born April 13, 1964) is an American politician and
marketing consultant Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or manufacturer. Products can ...
who served as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
from Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. The district encompassed parts of southwestern
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
as well as many of its nearby
suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
, such as Oak Lawn, Western Springs, and Lockport. Newman was elected to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
as the Democratic nominee, after defeating incumbent
Dan Lipinski Daniel William Lipinski (born July 15, 1966) is an American politician and political scientist who served eight terms as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2005 to 2021. ...
in the 2020 primary election. Due to redistricting as a result of the 2020 United States Census, Newman in 2022 faced a choice between running in the heavily Hispanic
4th district Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...
which she had been drawn into, or against
Sean Casten Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district covers southwestern Chicago, as well as many of Chicago's inner southwestern suburbs, such as Downers Gro ...
in a district with the majority of her former area. Newman opted to run against Casten in the Democratic primary, but was defeated. In April 2023, Newman was appointed chief executive officer of Little City Foundation, a social services organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.


Early life and career

Newman was born Marie Klassen in Evergreen Park,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, on April 13, 1964, at the Little Company of Mary Hospital. She attended
Carl Sandburg High School Carl Sandburg High School, Sandburg, or CSHS, is a public four-year high school located at the intersection of La Grange Road and Southmoor Drive in Orland Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is par ...
in
Orland Park Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago, Or ...
. After attending
Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...
for a year and a half, she transferred to the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
, where she graduated with a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
. Newman worked for multiple firms as an agency executive. She began her own consulting firm in 2005. She also established her own nonprofit to combat bullying after one of her children was bullied.
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Pat Quinn appointed her to a regional anti-bullying task force and
Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation was an American holding company headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the parent company of the chain stores Kmart and Sears and was founded after the former purchased the latter in 2005. It was the 20th- ...
asked her to establish a national anti-bullying coalition of 70 nonprofit organizations. Newman co-wrote the book ''When Your Child is Being Bullied'', a guide for parents. Her practical advice includes making detailed notes of what the child says at home, before bringing a complaint to school officials, because children may be apt to hide their problem when in the school setting. Newman has worked on several Democratic campaigns for public office. Between 2015 and 2017 she lobbied for
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...
measures such as background checks.


Career after U.S. House of Representatives

In April 2023, Newman was appointed chief executive officer of Little City Foundation, a social services organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Little City serves over 900 people through its residential facilities, day programs, and at-home assistance in northern Illinois. Newman had a personal connection to Little City, having volunteered when she was young. Two of her cousins received Little City services. Newman's book, ''A Life Made From Scratch: Lessons from a Controversial Congresswoman, Mompreneur, and Unstoppable Political Activist'' documenting her time running and joining Congress, was published by Koehler Books in 2025.


U.S. House of Representatives


Elections


2018

Newman supported
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary in Illinois and
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
in the November general election. The day after Clinton lost, she applied to the Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership. By January 1, 2017, Newman had closed her business to turn her attention to politics full-time. On April 10, 2017, Newman declared her candidacy for Illinois's 3rd congressional district, challenging Democratic incumbent
Dan Lipinski Daniel William Lipinski (born July 15, 1966) is an American politician and political scientist who served eight terms as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2005 to 2021. ...
, a member of the
Blue Dog Coalition The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats, is a Congressional caucus, caucus of Political moderate, moderate members from the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the United States House of ...
, who had held the seat since 2005, succeeding his father, who held it for 22 years. Newman ran to Lipinski's left, and was endorsed by the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
, the
Progressive Change Campaign Committee The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) is an American political action committee (PAC) associated with the progressive movement. The PCCC invests in advocacy campaigns and progressive candidates running for office in the United State ...
,
Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization
,
EMILY's List EMILYs List is a left-leaning American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "E ...
, the SEIU state council,
National Nurses United National Nurses United (NNU) is the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States. With more than 225,000 members, it is the farthest-reaching union and professional association of registered nurses in the U.S. Founded in 2009 t ...
, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the
Feminist Majority Foundation The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) is an American non-profit organization headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, whose stated mission is to advance non-violence and women's power, equality, and economic development. The name Feminist Maj ...
,
NARAL Pro-Choice America Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America and commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, politics, political action, and advocacy efforts to op ...
, Democracy for America,
MoveOn MoveOn (formerly known as MoveOn.org) is a progressivism in the United States, progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee. Formed in 1998 around one of the first massively viral email petitions, MoveOn has since grown ...
, and
Our Revolution Our Revolution (sometimes known by its initials OR) is an American progressive political action organization founded as a continuation of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign. The organization's mission is to educate voters a ...
, and several Democratic members of Congress, including Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...
of New York and Representatives
Luis Gutiérrez Luis Vicente Gutiérrez (born December 10, 1953) is an American politician. He served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2019. From 1986 until his election to United States Congress, Congress, he ...
and
Jan Schakowsky Janice Schakowsky ( ; née Danoff; born May 26, 1944) is an American politician who has served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from since 1999, and she previously served as a member of the Illinois House of Re ...
, both Illinois Democrats. Lipinski defeated Newman with 51.2% of the vote to her 48.8%.


2020

Newman ran against Lipinski again in the 2020 Democratic primary. She received endorsements from Representative
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989), also known as AOC, is an American politician and activist who has served since 2019 as the United States House of Representatives, US representative for New York's 14th congressional distric ...
and presidential candidates Senators
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...
,
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
,
Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democ ...
, and
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...
, as well as Chicago Mayor
Lori Lightfoot Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American politician and attorney who was the mayor of Chicago#List of mayors, 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 until 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she ...
. The race had special significance for progressive women's groups after other candidates they supported lost primary races earlier in March in Texas and the principal women candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination had ended their campaigns. On March 17, 2020, Newman narrowly defeated Lipinski in the Democratic primary with 47.26% of the vote to his 44.72%. Her victory ended the Lipinski family's 38-year hold on the district.
Bill Lipinski William Oliver Lipinski (born December 22, 1937) is an American politician and lobbyist who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2005, representing a district in Chicago. Life and career Pre-congr ...
won the seat in 1983, when it was numbered as the
5th district District 5, 5 District or 5th District may refer to: Europe * District 5 (Zürich) * District 5, Düsseldorf * V District, Turku * Districts of Malta#District 5, District 5, an electoral district of Malta * Districts of Malta#District 5 2, Distric ...
(it has been the 3rd since 1993), and handed it to Dan in 2005. On November 3, Newman won the general election, defeating Republican
Will County Will County is a county in the northeastern part of the state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 696,355, an increase of 2.8% from 677,560 in 2010, making it Illinois's fourth-most populous county. The county sea ...
Supervisor A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position and role that is primarily based on authority over la ...
Mike Fricilone. With 88% of the vote counted, she led by about 30,000 votes, and had received about 55% of the vote.


2022

In October 2021, Democrats in the Illinois legislature passed a new congressional map that radically changed Newman's district. The map placed Newman's home into a district with Representative
Jesús "Chuy" García Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet. Jesus may also refer to: People Religious figures * Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Act ...
, who represents a majority-Hispanic district. Newman announced that she would run in the redrawn 6th District, which overlaps her original district. She thus challenged incumbent Representative
Sean Casten Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district covers southwestern Chicago, as well as many of Chicago's inner southwestern suburbs, such as Downers Gro ...
in the 2022 Democratic primary. In the redrawn 6th district, 41% of voters are from Newman's former district and 23% are from Casten's former district, according to calculations by
Daily Kos Daily Kos ( ) is a group blog and internet forum focused on the U.S. Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party and Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal American politics. The site publishes blog posts, polls, election and cam ...
. On June 28, 2022, Newman lost the primary to Casten.


Tenure

In January 2021, Newman voted to impeach President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
. In November 2021, Newman voted for the
Build Back Better Act The Build Back Better Act was a bill introduced in the 117th Congress to fulfill aspects of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Plan. It was spun off from the American Jobs Plan, alongside the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, ...
, which passed the House of Representatives.


House Ethics Committee review

In 2021, the
House Ethics Committee The U.S. House Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Before the 112th Congress, it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. ...
launched a review after she was accused of having signed a contract promising Iymen Chehade a job in her Congressional office in exchange for Chehade's not entering the 2020 primary opposite to Newman. Other documents alleged to be included in the review also stipulated that Newman adopt several policy positions with respect to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israelis (; ) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jews and Arabs, who respectively account for 75 percent and 20 percent of the national figure, followed by other ethnic and ...
. In her contract with Chehade, Newman also allegedly agreed to adopt specific stances with respect to BDS-related legislation and aid to Israel, and to refuse to work with a number of pro-Israel organizations, such as the
Jewish National Fund The Jewish National Fund (JNF; , ''Keren Kayemet LeYisrael''; previously , ''Ha Fund HaLeumi'') is a non-profit organizationProfessor Alon Tal, The Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion ...
. The contract to employ Chehade in Newman's Congressional staff was revealed when Chehade sued Newman after she assumed office in January, 2021. Newman had not given Chehade a job, Chehade claimed he had decided not to run for the Congressional seat pursuant to the promise to hire him. House of Representatives General Counsel
Douglas Letter Douglas Neal Letter is an American attorney. He was general counsel to the United States House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. He is now chief legal officer for Brady: United Against Gun Violence. From 1978 to 2018, he was an attorney in th ...
wrote that Newman's contract written as a private citizen was not enforceable when she was in public office. In a motion to dismiss, Newman's counsel acknowledged that the contract was in violation of House and federal rules. The case was settled without publicly revealing the terms. On October 15, 2021, the
Office of Congressional Ethics The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is a nonpartisan, independent entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and thei ...
(OCE) voted unanimously that there was reason to believe that Newman's agreement with Chehade constituted a de facto bribe and to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee. Newman's representatives responded that Newman "cooperate completely with the review" but that the OCE had "prejudged the matter from the beginning", also making it clear this was "political theatre". The House Ethics Committee chose not to impanel an investigative subcommittee, and the matter was closed in 2022 after Newman lost the primary election. A separate complaint was filed with the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
, when FEC campaign finance filings showed that Newman's campaign organization started employing Chehade while he was a witness in the Congressional ethics probe. These payments started soon after Chehade's breach-of-contract suit was settled during 2021. The complaint, by Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) and
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), is a progressive nonprofit 501(c)(3) watchdog organization devoted to U.S. government ethics and accountability.''Washington Information Directory 2017-2018''; CQ Press; 2017; Pg. 327 ...
(CREW), alleged that the campaign's continued payments to Chehade while he was a witness in the Congressional investigation interfered with that investigation. The Federal Election Commission, after a full investigation, dismissed the complaint in July 2023, finding no wrongdoing.


Committee assignments

*
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. History The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works ...
** Subcommittee on Highways and Transit ** Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials * Committee on Small Business ** Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce ** Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development


Caucus memberships

*
Congressional Progressive Caucus The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the progressive faction of the Democratic Party. " e Congressional Progressive Caucus, ...
* House Pro-Choice Caucus


Political positions

Newman represented what has long been the most conservative district of the eight that divide Chicago. Described as "ancestrally Democratic,
culturally conservative Cultural conservatism is described as the protection of the cultural heritage of a nation state, or of a culture not defined by state boundaries. It is sometimes associated with criticism of multiculturalism, and anti-immigration sentiment. Bec ...
, multiethnic and viscerally
patriotic Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...
", the 3rd is the only Chicago-based district with a
Cook Partisan Voting Index The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated PVI or CPVI, is a measurement of how partisan a U.S. congressional district or U.S. state is. This partisanship is indicated as lean towards either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, com ...
lower than D+15. Newman identifies as a progressive Democrat. She supports
abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their p ...
, gun control, a $15 minimum wage, and a
Green New Deal The Green New Deal (GND) calls for public policy to address climate change, along with achieving other social aims like job creation, economic growth, and reducing economic inequality. The name refers to the New Deal, a set of changes and ...
. Her campaigns were supported by
Justice Democrats Justice Democrats (JD) is an American progressive political action committee and caucus founded on January 23, 2017, by two leaders of Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, Saikat Chakrabarti and Zack Exley, as well as political com ...
, an organization that funds progressive candidates, in both 2018 and 2020. The
Sunrise Movement Sunrise Movement is an American 501(c)(4) political action organization that advocates political action on climate change alongside other progressive causes. When launched in 2017, the movement's goal was to elect proponents of renewable energ ...
supported her campaign in 2020.


LGBTQ+ rights

Newman also supports the Equality Act, saying, "Without the Equality Act, this nation will never live up to its principles of freedom and equality." She says that she entered politics to make the world a better place for her
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
daughter. After Republican freshman
Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene ( Taylor; born May 27, 1974), sometimes referred to by her initials MTG, is an American far-rightSources describing Greene as "far-right" include: * * * * * * * * * * * politician, businesswoman, and cons ...
attacked the bill as "disgusting, immoral, and evil" on the House floor, Newman hung a
Transgender Pride flag The transgender flag, also called the transgender pride flag, is used by people, organizations and communities to represent pride, diversity, rights and/or remembrance within the transgender community. Its usage is similar to the original ra ...
outside her Washington office, which is directly across from Greene's.


Israel

Newman was one of eight Democrats to vote against the funding of the
Iron Dome Iron Dome () is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired f ...
in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
.


Electoral history


2018


2020


2022


Personal life

Newman lives in La Grange, west of Chicago, with her husband, Jim. They married in 1996 and have two children. Newman's daughter is
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
, and Newman has spoken about how the lack of support for transgender people influenced her to run for office.


Books

* *


See also

*
Women in the United States House of Representatives Women have served in the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress, since 1917 following the election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first woman in Congress. In total, 396 women ...


Notes


References


External links

*
Marie Newman Studio
Professional website. , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Marie 1964 births 21st-century American women politicians American abortion-rights activists American gun control activists American LGBTQ rights activists American nonprofit executives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Female members of the United States House of Representatives Living people People from La Grange, Illinois Politicians from Chicago Progressivism in the United States University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Women in advertising American women nonprofit executives Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives