Marie Newman: Winning a Green New Deal for Chicago and Beyond
Sunrise Chicago enthusiastically endorses Marie Newman for Congress in IL-03
We are only days away from a monumental election, and the future of our climate, the health and safety of our BIPOC communities, and the economic survival of our working and middle class citizens are all at stake. We need to elect public officials who will work to create a livable, sustainable future for all of their constituents — not just the white and wealthy ones. That’s why Sunrise Chicago enthusiastically endorsed Marie Newman for Congress in Illinois’s 3rd congressional district in this year’s primary, and why we continue to endorse her campaign in the general election. Marie’s support for racial justice, economic equity, and Green New Deal legislation make her an excellent choice to help create a better future for the City of Chicago and its surrounding municipalities.
Marie has demonstrated that she will put in the hard work to fix problems in her community. When she discovered one of her children was being bullied in school, Marie worked with both state and federal lawmakers to prioritize anti-bullying policies, was appointed to a regional anti-bullying task force by the governor of Illinois, and co-wrote a book titled “When Your Child Is Being Bullied,” which outlined practical bullying solutions for parents and educators. Marie has also been a proponent of reproductive rights, gun safety legislation, LGBTQ+ rights, and income equality, as well as a leading voice calling for climate justice. In the March primary, Marie defeated one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, a man whose family had held power in IL-03 since the 1980s.
It is abundantly clear that Marie will continue working hard to improve the communities she represents if she is elected. She recognizes the need to dismantle the long-standing racist systems in our country; as a congresswoman, Marie plans to end cash bail and institute a national ban on private prisons and detention centers. Marie recognizes the intersection between systemic racism and environmental injustice, and she will prevent known polluters from targeting BIPOC neighborhoods, while enacting legislation to detoxify BIPOC neighborhoods that have already been subject to pollution.
In addition to her plan to address racial injustice, Marie wants to implement a Green Stimulus package as a solution to both the climate crisis and the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The package would allow for investment in green technologies and infrastructure improvement projects, utilizing local labor and creating opportunities for local labor unions. This, along with a green workforce development program, will give those facing unemployment due to the pandemic a chance to enter a new, green career field.
None of these policies will be easy to put into law, but Marie is more than willing to fight hard to make them a reality. Sunrise Chicago spent hours last winter canvassing for Marie in IL-03, knocking on doors and explaining why our generation needs leadership like Marie in Congress. Our members were inspired by her kindness, passion and integrity, and were excited to get out the vote for a candidate whose platforms don’t feel like a compromise. Winning a Green New Deal, advocating for the marginalized, and fighting to dismantle systemic racism are essential battles for our survival, and I am ready to elect candidates like Marie, who champion the needs of our generation and our city.
If you live in Illinois’s 3rd congressional district — which includes Bridgeport, Bridgeview, Burbank, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Garfield Ridge, Hickory Hills, Justice, La Grange, Mount Greenwood, Oak Lawn, Lyons, Palos Hills, Summit, and West Lawn, almost all of Berwyn, Beverly, Brookfield, and Western Springs, and parts of Alsip, Burr Ridge, Cicero, Palos Heights, and Westchester — vote for Marie Newman before or on November 3rd. Let’s work together to elect people who will build a future that everyone, regardless of race or class, can survive and thrive in.
