Marie Newman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Newman
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 3rd district |
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| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Dan Lipinski |
| Succeeded by | Delia Ramirez (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Marie Klassen
April 13, 1964 Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Jim Newman
(m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) |
Marie Newman is an American politician and business consultant. She served as a U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. This district included parts of southwestern Chicago and many nearby towns. Marie Newman was elected as a Democrat. She won after beating the person who held the seat before her, Dan Lipinski, in the 2020 primary election.
After new district maps were drawn in 2022, Marie Newman had to choose between two areas to run in. She decided to run against Sean Casten in a different district. However, she was not successful in that election. In April 2023, Marie Newman became the chief executive officer of Little City Foundation. This group helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Marie Klassen was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, on April 13, 1964. She went to Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. After attending Marquette University, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, she earned her bachelor's degree.
Newman worked as an executive for several companies. In 2005, she started her own consulting business. She also created a nonprofit organization to help stop bullying. She started this group after one of her own children was bullied.
Governor Pat Quinn asked her to join a special group against bullying. Sears Holdings Corporation also asked her to create a national group of 70 organizations to fight bullying. Newman has also worked on several political campaigns for the Democratic Party. From 2015 to 2017, she worked to support gun control laws.
Work After Congress
In April 2023, Marie Newman was named the chief executive officer of Little City Foundation. This organization helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Little City helps over 900 people in northern Illinois. They offer places to live, day programs, and help at home. Marie Newman had a special connection to Little City. She volunteered there when she was younger. Also, two of her cousins received services from Little City.
Marie Newman's book, A Life Made From Scratch: Lessons from a ... Congresswoman, Mompreneur, and Unstoppable Political Activist, was published in 2025. The book shares her experiences running for and serving in Congress.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Elections for Congress
2018 Election
Marie Newman supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. She then supported Hillary Clinton in the main election. After Clinton lost, Newman decided to get more involved in politics. By January 2017, she had closed her business to focus on politics full-time.
On April 10, 2017, Marie Newman announced she would run for Congress. She challenged Dan Lipinski, who had been the representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district since 2005. His father had held the seat for 22 years before him. Newman ran as a more progressive candidate than Lipinski. Many groups supported her, including those focused on human rights, women's rights, and workers' rights. However, Lipinski won the election with 51.2% of the votes. Newman received 48.8%.
2020 Election
Marie Newman ran against Dan Lipinski again in the 2020 Democratic primary election. She received support from many important politicians. These included Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
On March 17, 2020, Marie Newman narrowly defeated Lipinski. She won with 47.26% of the votes, while he had 44.72%. Her victory ended the Lipinski family's 38-year hold on the district.
On November 3, Marie Newman won the main election. She defeated the Republican candidate, Mike Fricilone. She received about 55% of the votes.
2022 Election
In October 2021, new congressional maps were created in Illinois. These maps changed Marie Newman's district a lot. Her home was placed into a district with Representative Jesús "Chuy" García. Marie Newman then announced she would run in the new 6th District. This district overlapped with parts of her old one. She challenged the current representative, Sean Casten, in the 2022 Democratic primary. On June 28, 2022, Marie Newman lost the primary election to Casten.
Time in Office
In January 2021, Marie Newman voted to impeach President Donald Trump. In November 2021, she voted for the Build Back Better Act. This bill passed in the House of Representatives.
Review of an Agreement
In 2021, the House Ethics Committee started a review. This happened after Marie Newman was accused of making an agreement with a person named Iymen Chehade. The agreement was about offering him a job in her office if he did not run against her in the 2020 primary election.
The agreement also mentioned that Marie Newman would take certain positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was claimed she agreed not to work with some pro-Israel groups.
The agreement became public when Chehade sued Newman in January 2021. He claimed she did not give him the job she promised. Newman's lawyers said that the agreement was not valid once she was in public office. The case was settled, meaning they reached an agreement outside of court.
In October 2021, a group called the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) looked into the matter. They believed there was a reason to think the agreement was like a bribe. They sent the case to the House Ethics Committee. Newman's team said she worked with the review. The House Ethics Committee decided not to open a full investigation. The matter was closed in 2022 after Newman lost her primary election.
Another complaint was filed about payments Marie Newman's campaign made to Chehade. These payments started after his lawsuit was settled. The complaint suggested these payments might have interfered with the investigation. However, after a full review, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) dismissed this complaint in July 2023. They found no wrongdoing.
Committees and Groups
While in Congress, Marie Newman was part of several important committees:
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce
- Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
She was also a member of these groups:
Political Beliefs
Marie Newman represented a district that was known for being more traditional. However, Newman herself identifies as a progressive Democrat. This means she supports ideas like:
- Gun control
- A $15 minimum wage
- A Green New Deal (a plan for climate action and economic fairness)
Groups that support progressive candidates helped her campaigns in 2018 and 2020.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Marie Newman strongly supports the Equality Act. This law would protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. She has said that she entered politics to make the world better for her transgender daughter. After another representative spoke against the Equality Act, Newman hung a Transgender Pride flag outside her office. Her office was directly across from the other representative's office.
Israel
Marie Newman was one of eight Democrats who voted against funding the Iron Dome in Israel. The Iron Dome is a defense system.
Personal Life
Marie Newman lives in La Grange, a town west of Chicago. She is married to Jim, and they have two children. They got married in 1996.
Marie Newman's daughter is transgender. Newman has spoken about how the lack of support for transgender people made her want to run for public office.
See also
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
