SOURCE: PATCH

BY: LORRAINE SWANSON

BRIDGEVIEW, IL — Democratic rivals in the upcoming Illinois primary races pitched their cases to 600 attendees at the Arab American Democratic Club candidate’s breakfast on Sunday. Arab American and Muslim American voters are projected to turn out in force for the March 20 primary. The Muslim travel ban, surging anti-Muslim rhetoric and a feeling that elected officials are taking their community for granted, attendees were inspired to get out and vote Democrat in the primary.

The jam packed program featured dozens of politicians running for office and a standup comedian. Before the program began, Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios took the stage at Niko’s Banquet Hall in Bridgeview pitching his re-election bid. Berrios was criticized in an independent report last week for “flawed and unfair” property tax assessments that punishes poor homeowners in Cook County, while doling out tax breaks to the wealthy ones. The assessor is facing a tough re-election bid from challenger Fritz Kaegi, who also appeared at the club’s candidates breakfast. Later in the program, when introducing Kaegi, master of ceremonies Clem Belenoff called Berrios a “cancer in Cook County.”

The Arab American Democratic Club’s “heartily endorsed” candidate in the gubernatorial Democratic primary — Chris Kennedy, son of slain Sen. Robert Kennedy — was the keynote speaker. Kennedy traced his family’s roots back to Ireland’s potato famine in the mid-19th century and managed to name drop all of his famous relatives, including Jackie and Grandma Rose’s father, John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, Boston’s first Irish Catholic mayor.

The candidates’ breakfast also featured challenger Marie Newman, who’s in a heated Democratic primary race against 7-term incumbent Dan Lipinski in Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District. Newman attended the breakfast along with leaders from the Arab American community. Lipinski arrived late having earlier attended 19th Ward’s “Get Behind the Vest” pancake breakfast to raise money for bullet-resistant vests for police officers.

Newman is reaching out to the 3rd District’s Arab and Muslim American voters. Volunteers have set up a Facebook page, Arab and Muslim Americans for Marie Newman. Her campaign also collaborated on a video with other leaders from the Arab and Muslim American community.

“I’ve been reaching out all my life. This is not a new thing,” Newman said. “I’ve been reaching out to Arab American Family Services and all the non-profit organizations and community leaders since I announced my candidacy a year ago. I’m validating and building and working with the community so we can problem solve together.”

Newman cited Palos Township Trustee Sharon Brannigan, a one-time GOP challenger to Lipinski, who is accused of making derogatory anti-Muslim comments on social media, as galvanizing Arab American and Muslim American voters in the 3rd District.

“The community has done a great job in being respectful and identifying hate speech. They’ve influenced other elected leaders to admonish her. She’s no longer a qualified public servant. She should step down as a trustee. Unfortunately the Trump phenomenon has really cultivated this feeling of hate throughout the country.”

Newman called Lipinski’s most recent poll showing him to be 36 points ahead of her “fake.” She claimed other polling in the 3rd District shows both Democrats in a dead heat in the upcoming primary.

“It was a push poll,” she said. “We have a Republican running in the Democratic primary and a gentleman that votes with Republicans most of the time and that’s Mr. Lipinski,” Newman said.

Lipinski was also asked how he is reaching out to the Arab and Muslim Americans in the 3rd District.

“We have people here knocking on doors,” Lipinski said. “It’s very important especially with Donald Trump as president to fight against discrimination, the travel ban and the rhetoric that is so damaging. It colors people’s views of Arab Americans and Muslims. We need to continue to fight against that.”

Photo: Challenger Marie Newman and Congressman Dan Lipinski plead their case at Sunday’s Arab American Democratic Club breakfast in Bridgeview. | Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson