Poll: Lipinski holds slim lead over progressive primary challenger

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), a staunch anti-abortion lawmaker, holds a slim 2-point lead over his primary challenger running to the left of him, according to a poll released Tuesday.

A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling shows Lipinksi with 43 percent of the vote, while marketing consultant Marie Newman garnered 41 percent, which is within the survey’s margin of error. Fifteen percent of likely Democratic primary voters are undecided.

The survey, which was first reported by Politico, was conducted for NARAL Pro-Choice America, a group that supports abortion rights and has endorsed Newman in the Chicago-area district ahead of the March 20 primary.

{mosads}Progressives have been heavily targeting Lipinski, arguing that his views are out of touch with the district and Democratic Party. The Illinois congressman has served in the lower chamber since 2005 and is a co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition.

Newman has landed support from several progressive groups and even from some Democratic members of Congress.

But unseating an incumbent is a difficult feat, especially for a first-time candidate like Newman. And even though she slightly outraised him in the final few months of 2017, Lipinski still has a large cash advantage over her with $1.6 million in the bank.

The poll was conducted from Feb. 27-28 and surveyed 648 likely Democratic primary voters via automated phone interviews. The margin of error was 3.9 percentage points.