CHICAGO–One incumbent candidate backed by credit unions in Tuesday’s primary elections has lost.
CUNA’s PAC, the Credit Union Legislative Action Council (CULAC), and the Illinois league had put its support behind Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) in Illinois's 3rd Congressional District in one of the country's most-watched House contests.
Lipinski, however, was defeated by challenger Marie Newman, who won 48.2% of the vote to Lipinski’s 45.8%.
Ahead of the election, Trey Hawkins, vice president-political affairs with CUNA, had singled out Lipinski as one of the candidates credit unions were specifically supporting, calling the congressman a “strong credit union supporter.”
Headed into Tuesday’s elections CULAC and the respective state leagues were backing 27 different candidates in primaries in four states. Ohio, however, postponed its primary until later this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Lipinski, who was running for his ninth term, became the first House member of the 2020 cycle to lose a primary. If the results are upheld, it will bring to an end nearly four decades of a Lipinski holding the seat. Dan Lipinski’s father, William Lipinski, held the seat from 1983 until 2005.
Newman is expected to win the November general election in the heavily Democratic district.