The defeat of pro-life Congressman Dan Lipinski in the Illinois Third Congressional District primary to challenger Marie Newman is a loss for Illinois and for our entire nation. Dan Lipinski is precisely the sort of leader America needs in our public square: principled, pragmatic, and prudent.
We know that fully two-thirds of Democrats oppose the sort of abortion extremism on display by the most radical factions of the Democratic Party and by Rep. Lipinski’s opponent. Yet the powerful and well-financed Big Abortion lobby targeted Rep. Lipinski precisely for his sensible, moderate views in defense of the human right to life.
Nationwide polling and competitive election results show us time and again that pro-life Democrats rank among America’s most successful and well-liked candidates. Dan Lipinski and others like him show us that there is hope for transcending the rank partisanship and tedious political factionalism that has made positive and enlivening politics seemingly impossible.
While Dan Lipinski will no longer have the privilege of serving the people of Illinois’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives after the next election, I am heartened by the fact that pro-life Democrats across the nation are speaking more confidently and more passionately than they have in decades. By continuing to seek common ground in our support for fundamental human rights, we can build deep, cherished relationships with fellow advocates and magnify our progress in the cause for life.
