The presidential primary scene is fully under way and every punch seems to be pulled. But one thing that almost seems to be forgotten by larger media outlets in the Chicago area are some key congressional primary races. One in particular is that of Mark Pera versus current Representative Dan Lipinski. Just over three weeks remain before voters in the third district will flock to the polls, with expected record turnout being driven by Illinois Senator Barack Obama's appearance on the ballot for the Democratic nomination in the presidential contest. That may just help Pera beat out Lipiniski with new voters demanding change from the status quo.
While the larger media outlets continue to focus on the presidential contest, local media is certainly taking notice from the far western portion of the district all the way to most eastern. The Doings, a local paper in Western Springs recently decided to endorse Pera as an agent of change:
If change is the theme of this election year, voters in the 3rd Congressional District have a rare opportunity to move away from a political system where positions -- be they government workers or elected representatives -- are bequeathed rather than earned. Of the qualified Democrats seeking the nomination, Western Springs resident Mark Pera is the best choice to unseat incumbent Daniel Lipinski.
Another small paper sees the writing on the wall and pays attention to the movement of the netroots, a driving force in this campaign:
Pera has received solid support from Democratic, liberal, and progressive bloggers and online political activists who criticize Lipinski for bucking Democrats to vote with Bush on critical issues. "The netroots have helped us tremendously in getting our message out and in fundraising," Pera said. "But our strategy is multipronged; it’s not just the netroots but...people within the district and across the region...This race is not only about the differences between Lipinski and I, but...about a new direction for Democrats in Cook County."
There are just 23 days till the February 5th election so the time to make a difference in the Illinois' third congressional district is right now. Make a donation to this campaign to help a true progressive win a seat in Congress, one in which he will demand an end to the war in Iraq. I just donated for the third time.
If you can't donate some money, then donate some of your time by becoming a volunteer, you can phone bank or walk door to door in the waning days of the election, this can truly be the make or break of a campaign, so get out there and help out!
Cross posted at Faithfully Liberal.