When I first wrote about Marie Newman's challenge to longtime machine-backed Illinois incumbent Daniel Lipinski of Illinois back in December, she had picked up the support of NARAL, the Human Rights Campaign and a host of the national online progressive groups. But it looked like such a longshot, even EMILY"s List and Planned Parenthood were staying out. (If you can't take out an incumbent, best not to try.)
It's starting to look like much less of a longshot.
On Feb. 2, following Lipinski's rejection of a $15 an hour minimum wage, the SEIU, which has made the minimum wage one of its central issues, broke with him and endorsed Newman. With the dam breaking, EMILY's List and Planned Parenthood got behind her as well. On Feb. 3, Newman won the backing of the more than 5,000 teachers in the local union, with the Illinois Federation of Teachers endorsing her. Today, three local Indivisible chapters endorsed Newman. It's a real race now.
2. Dominion Energy went hard for Ralph Northam in the Democratic primary for governor of Virginia. Now that he's won, they've taken a bill that was meant to crack down on their overcharging and somehow turned it into legislation that will actually make them more money. Story here.
Over at HuffPost, Daniel Marans has a much deeper dive into the situation.
3. Lissa Lucas traveled to the West Virginia state legislature to have a chance to weigh in on energy legislation when the time came for citizen input. She decided to read off the campaign contributions lawmakers had taken from the fossil fuel industry. She was thrown out for "personal" attacks. It was public information. That story is here.
4.
And Politico has a fascinating story about Bob Corker re-thinking his retirement from the Senate, as Republicans get nervous they might lose Tennessee without him -- and with it, the Senate.
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