Newman and Fricilone Face Off In IL03 Virtual Candidate Forum

LA GRANGE, IL — The candidates running in the general election for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District seat will face off in a virtual forum on Thursday, Oct. 1. The public program is being presented by the League of Women Voters of the LaGrange Area, Palos-Orland Area and the Chicago League via ZOOM from 7 to 8 p.m. The forum is free.

Republican Mike Fricilone will face off against Democrat Marie Newman, who won the March primary against 8-term incumbent Dan Lipinski. GOP sources maintain that the 3rd District is “flippable” after 38 years of control by Bill Lipinski and his son, Dan.

Mike Fricilone, of Homer Glen, serves on the Will County Board. He initially got into the GOP congressional primary to prevent self-avowed, perennial neo-Nazi candidate Art Jones from running uncontested on the Republican ticket, as Jones did in 2018.

Fricilone is executive director of a furniture company. He is anti-abortion, anti-tax, and believes the current health care system can be improved — not torn down — with forward-thinking policies that lower costs and improve access while ensuring no one loses access to their doctors and all pre-existing conditions are covered. He supports President Donald Trump and thought the president’s impeachment was a “partisan scam.”

Fricilone likes the direction the current administration is taking the country because it’s “pro-American,” he said during a candidate’s primary forum in February. He’s counting on socially conservative democrats who supported Dan Lipinski swaying to his side in the November election. Fricilone has received the endorsement of the Chicago FOP Lodge 7, Will County Sheriffs Association, ISP FOP and the Cook County Republican Party.

Democrat Marie Newman was born into a union family in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood and attended Sutherland Elementary School until the second grade, when her family moved to Palos Park. She is a graduate of Sandburg High School and now resides in LaGrange.

Newman has been a marketing executive, founded a non-profit and is an anti-bullying advocate. She says she is running for Congress to build an economy that works for everyone, for practical solutions to fix our broken health care system, and to build an equitable path forward for workers and working families as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

She received the endorsements of former President Barack Obama and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as well as a groundswell of support from such progressive groups as 350Action, Indivisible, Will County Progressives, NARAL, Emily’s List, Our Revolution (Chicago Southwest Side), 12th Ward IPO, 15th Ward IPO and more.

Candidates will make brief presentations on their backgrounds, qualifications and interest in running for office, followed by questions from the audience. Additionally, questions submitted by citizens in advance of the forum will be asked of the candidates. To submit a question email league@lagrangearealwv.org.

Register in advance on the League of Women Voters LaGrange Area website to reserve a spot in the ZOOM webinar. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If capacity is reached, the forum will be recorded and published on the League of Women Voters of the LaGrange Area’s Facebook page.

This story has been updated with a clarification of Mike Fricilone's stance on healthcare.