People have complained about “politics going to the dogs” for decades, but the latest campaign ad from freshman U.S. Rep. Marie Newman in her primary bid against Rep. Sean Casten takes the phrase quite literally.
The 30-second spot shows Newman walking her dog as it prepares to defecate. “I’m Congresswoman Marie Newman, and unfortunately, you’re going to hear a lot of”– a scatological reference is then bleeped –from my opponent Sean Casten,” she says as she deposits the bagged dog waste in a garbage can.
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Newman goes on to describe herself as a “lifelong progressive” and questions Casten’s commitment to abortion rights and universal health care. while criticizing him for accepting money from corporate political action committees.
“I approve this message because unlike Sean Casten, I’ll always fight for our progressive values,” the ad concludes.
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Newman, who defeated eight-term U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a social conservative, in the Democratic primary two years ago to win a congressional seat, is taking on Casten, a two-term congressman, for the Democratic nomination in the suburban 6th Congressional District in the June 28 primary.
Newman’s LaGrange home was placed Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s heavily Latino district when Illinois Democrats redrew boundaries, leading her to opt to challenge Casten, who’s from Downers Grove. The redrawn 6th District stretches from Tinley Park northwest to Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood, and from Burbank west to Lisle and Villa Park.
The Casten-Newman showdown is the only Democrat-on-Democrat incumbent matchup in the state.
A longtime Democratic ad strategist with no clients in the congressional primary race questioned the effectiveness of Newman’s new TV spot, saying the visual of the dog doing its duty may stick with Newman more than her attempt to tarnish Casten.
Federal Election Commission reports showed Casten started last month with more than $2 million in his campaign bank account compared to $552,510 for Newman.
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