NL_091417

8 | September 14, 2017 | The New Lenox Patriot News
newlenoxpatriot.com
Lipinski to face two challengers in 2018 race for Congressional District 3
Meredith Dobes
Freelance Reporter
In 2018, Congressman
Dan Lipinski (D-3) will face
two challengers for his seat
in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He has served the district
— which includes all or parts
of Homer Glen, Lockport,
Orland Park, Tinley Park
and New Lenox — since
2005 and said he would like
to continue his work for four
more years.
“I want to keep doing the
work that I’ve been doing,”
he said. “I think it’s even
more important today than
ever to have members of
Congress in there who are
problem-solvers.”
Hopefuls Marie Newman
(D) and Mat Tomkowiak (I)
contend that the district is
ready for a change.
Newman is a La Grange
resident who worked in advertising
and was a partner
at J. Walter Thompson
Worldwide, prior to starting
her own marketing consulting
business.
In 2011, Newman partnered
with Sears Holdings
Corporation to build national
nonprofit program Team
Up to Stop Bullying after
starting a local version of the
program in response to her
son experiencing bullying
in school, she said. Through
her work with the nonprofit,
she contributed to legislation.
Newman also has contributed
to advocacy efforts
for gun safety and for Lurie
Children’s Hospital. She has
not held political office previously.
Tomkowiak is a Chicago
resident of the Mount
Greenwood neighborhood
who was born in Poland
and moved to the U.S. at the
age of 9. He has worked in
research and advising for
health policy and political
science, and was involved in
the writing of the Affordable
Care Act.
Tomkowiak said he
planned on becoming a professor
but decided to get
involved with politics after
being disappointed by how
researchers’ work was used
in legislation. He also has
not previously held political
office.
Where they stand on the
issues
Lipinski said he is seeking
another term to continue
to solve problems in
Congress and work to end
gridlock.
“I take criticism for wanting
to work in a bipartisan
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manner, but I’m proud of
that,” he said.
Lipinski has worked on
the Problem Solvers Caucus,
a bipartisan group of House
members who work on issues
like making the ACA
more affordable by bringing
down premiums.
He said his primary focuses
during his time representing
District 3 have
been increasing middle
class jobs, promoting the
manufacturing industry,
Congressman Dan Lipinski Challenger Marie Newman Challenger Mat Tomkowiak
improving transportation,
promoting science innovation
through research at
universities and national
labs, lowering the cost of
education, and ensuring
veterans and senior citizens
receive care.
Newman said she decided
to run for Congress in 2018
in response to the results
of the 2016 Presidential
Election and because she
disagrees with Lipinski on
health care, women’s issues,
and items regarding
immigrant and working
families.
Once she decided to run,
Newman visited with residents
throughout the district
to discover which issues
were most important to
them, and she said their values
aligned with hers.
“People want health care
for all,” she said. “They
want working families to
have the fair deal they deserve,
a livable wage, paid
leave, affordable childcare.
People want small businesses
to thrive.”
In addition to working on
those issues, Newman said
she would work to expand
the middle class; lower education
costs; and expand science,
technology, engineering
and math education in
junior high and high schools.
Tomkowiak said his decision
to run for Congress was
inspired by disappointment
in levels of polarization in
government, money in politics
and how little gets accomplished.
His primary focuses are on
health care, wealth inequality
and political polarization,
he said.
Tomkowiak is an advocate
of a single-payer health care
system, and he said the district
seems receptive to that
type of system, as well.
“The Democrats are
milquetoast centrists or
old-school machine politicians
who don’t understand
the politics of health
care or aren’t invested
deeply enough,” he said.
“I feel the need to step up
and fight for Congress in
this particular moment in
history.”
Tomkowiak added that
wealth inequality in the U.S.
needs to come to an end, and
a multiparty democracy —
putting to rest the two-party
system — would help solve
political polarization and
get voters more interested in
making changes.
Why they think they should
win
Lipinski said his track
record, approachability to
residents of the district and
willingness to work across
the aisle to get things done
make him stand out from his
challengers.
“I think the extreme partisanship
and the unwillingness
to listen to one another
and work with people who
have different ideas — I
think that all has been detrimental
to our country, and
we certainly see that with
President [Donald] Trump,”
Lipinski said. “I think he
has divided our nation even
more. ... I think he’s left people
more frustrated with our
political system, and I’m not
someone who wants to just
talk; I want to solve problems.”
Newman’s understanding
of issues important to the
district, and interest in creating
fairness and opportunity
for all set her apart, she said.
“Folks deserve to have
health care, be healthy, have
a livable wage, deserve to
have small business thrive,
and women deserve to be
treated properly,” she said.
“I certainly hope people understand
that I will work to
provide health care for all, a
square deal to working families
and expand the middle
class, as well as give opportunities
to and enable small
business.”
Tomkowiak highlighted
his progressive stances, as
well as the fact that he is not
as wealthy or as old as most
members of Congress.
“Ninety-five percent
are in the top 1 percent of
wealth distribution,” he
said. “Most are getting older.
Baby Boomers dominate
Congress. Fifty percent are
business owners, and only
about 10 percent of the
American population are
business owners. Workers,
teachers and nurses through
labor and consumption
make business possible. I
do think we have a government
that needs to get
younger, poorer and in that
way, become more reflective
of America.”
For more information
about the candidates, visit
lipinski.house.gov, mari
enewmanforcongress.com
and mat2018.com.