Casten campaign blasts Newman tweet as 'deceptive'
A tweet from U.S. Rep. Marie Newman about the women's rights groups endorsing her has drawn fire from the campaign of her chief Democratic rival for the 6th District seat, incumbent U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.
The tweet includes a graphic identifying seven women's groups that have endorsed Newman, of La Grange, in her primary race against Casten, of Downers Grove. Text accompanying the image says Newman is "the only candidate to earn the endorsements of these top women's rights groups in #IL06."
Two of the identified groups, however - Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice America - endorsed both Newman and Casten in the race.
The other five groups mentioned in the tweet - Feminist Majority, EMILY's List, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Women's Political Caucus and the National Organization for Women - are backing only Newman in the 6th District.
Casten campaign spokesman Jacob Vurpillat called the tweet "deceptive."
"Sean is proud of his 100% pro-choice voting record and is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL because they trust he will never hesitate to stand up for a woman's right to make her own health care decisions," Vurpillat said.
Newman campaign manager Nick Uniejewski defended the tweet.
"In the clip, you'll note we include all the endorsements the congresswoman has earned," he said. "The tweet as intended and understood by our campaign is that Marie Newman is the only candidate in this race to earn the endorsement of this group of organizations."
Since the release of a draft U.S. Supreme Court decision that could overturn the Roe v. Wade case, abortion has become a significant issue in the 6th District race.
Casten and Newman have tried to convince voters of their dedication to protecting women's rights with social media posts, speeches and commercials. Last month, Newman publicly acknowledged she had an abortion when she was 19.
The newly redrawn 6th District includes much of the West and Southwest suburbs in Cook and DuPage counties. Last year's remap put Newman's home in the 4th District, but it's near the 6th District line.
Also seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 28 primary is Charles Hughes of Chicago. Six candidates are after the Republican nomination.