Challenger's showing could goad Lipinski on immigration stands
Jorge Mujica
Challenger's showing could goad Lipinski on immigration stands
by Heather Somerville
Feb 03, 2010
Immigration reform may have seen one victory in Jorge Mujica’s loss to incumbent Daniel Lipinski in Tuesday’s primary.
Despite a short campaign, no political history and few resources, Mujica, a Mexican immigrant and activist, pulled in 22 percent of the vote in the congressional race.
Political analyst Russ Stewart said Mujica’s campaign suggests immigration reform is gaining traction with more conservative voters. The 3rd District includes the southwest part of Chicago and spreads into the southern and western suburbs. Mujica is from west suburban Berwyn.
"I think it has an impetus,” Stewart said. “That [district is] 75 percent suburban, so you’d think these would be very conservative areas.”
But Juan Soto, director of Civil Rights of Immigrants at the Gamaliel Foundation, noted “it’s a growing immigrant district.”
Immigrant advocates said Mujica initiated honest dialogue about immigration issues during his campaign, which they hope will prompt more fruitful discussions with Lipinski in the coming months. Immigrant groups describe Lipinksi as on the fence about immigration reform and even anti-immigrant on some issues.
“One of the things that Mujica’s able to do is bring to light a lot of issues that the immigrant community is dealing with,” said Jose Luis Gutierrez, associate director of Latinos Progresando. “This really opens the door to speaking with Lipinski, and hopefully he’ll be open to discussion.”
Lipinski, who has held the office since 2005, won the primary with nearly 80 percent of the vote.
In an interview Wednesday, Mujica called his campaign a success.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “We had a wonderful race. We accomplished what we set out to do, which is challenge Lipinski and the electoral arena.”
Mujica, who describes himself as an anti-war, immigrant and labor activist, said he ran his campaign with $11,000, a corps of volunteers and no knowledge about fundraising or working with news media.
“It was a first try, and it wasn’t bad for a first try,” he said.
The Rev. Jose Landaverde of La Mision Guadalupana, who has partnered with Mujica on labor and immigrant activism since 1992, said Mujica’s message for political reform resonated with the community.
“He appealed to the people in the community – the poor people, the Latinos and the elderly,” Landaverde said. “He was a success.”
But Mujica lost for a reason, Soto said. Lipinski has a broader appeal, while constituents peg Mujica as a one-issue man tied to an aggressive stance on immigration reform.“He wouldn’t have won on just the one-issue platform,” Soto said. “We appreciate that he has taken that position, but that’s not how you win a political office.”
Mujica said he also campaigned on health care, the war and employment. “We have a whole platform,” he said.
But immigration reform will not be the leading issue for any candidate come this November, Stewart said.
“In the overall, immigration just does not rate much importance compared to fiscal issues, health care issues and deficit issues,” Stewart said.
Mujica will continue to organize for immigration reform at the grassroots level, but he admits, with the tenuous state of health care reform and the Democratic Party in Congress, his efforts may prove futile.
“The prospect for immigration reform doesn’t look very good this year, but we will keep working on it,” he said.
Immigration reform may have seen one victory in Jorge Mujica’s loss to incumbent Daniel Lipinski in Tuesday’s primary.
Despite a short campaign, no political history and few resources, Mujica, a Mexican immigrant and activist, pulled in 22 percent of the vote in the congressional race.
Political analyst Russ Stewart said Mujica’s campaign suggests immigration reform is gaining traction with more conservative voters. The 3rd District includes the southwest part of Chicago and spreads into the southern and western suburbs. Mujica is from west suburban Berwyn.
"I think it has an impetus,” Stewart said. “That [district is] 75 percent suburban, so you’d think these would be very conservative areas.”
But Juan Soto, director of Civil Rights of Immigrants at the Gamaliel Foundation, noted “it’s a growing immigrant district.”
Immigrant advocates said Mujica initiated honest dialogue about immigration issues during his campaign, which they hope will prompt more fruitful discussions with Lipinski in the coming months. Immigrant groups describe Lipinksi as on the fence about immigration reform and even anti-immigrant on some issues.
“One of the things that Mujica’s able to do is bring to light a lot of issues that the immigrant community is dealing with,” said Jose Luis Gutierrez, associate director of Latinos Progresando. “This really opens the door to speaking with Lipinski, and hopefully he’ll be open to discussion.”
Lipinski, who has held the office since 2005, won the primary with nearly 80 percent of the vote.
In an interview Wednesday, Mujica called his campaign a success.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “We had a wonderful race. We accomplished what we set out to do, which is challenge Lipinski and the electoral arena.”
Mujica, who describes himself as an anti-war, immigrant and labor activist, said he ran his campaign with $11,000, a corps of volunteers and no knowledge about fundraising or working with news media.
“It was a first try, and it wasn’t bad for a first try,” he said.
The Rev. Jose Landaverde of La Mision Guadalupana, who has partnered with Mujica on labor and immigrant activism since 1992, said Mujica’s message for political reform resonated with the community.
“He appealed to the people in the community – the poor people, the Latinos and the elderly,” Landaverde said. “He was a success.”
But Mujica lost for a reason, Soto said. Lipinski has a broader appeal, while constituents peg Mujica as a one-issue man tied to an aggressive stance on immigration reform.“He wouldn’t have won on just the one-issue platform,” Soto said. “We appreciate that he has taken that position, but that’s not how you win a political office.”
Mujica said he also campaigned on health care, the war and employment. “We have a whole platform,” he said.
But immigration reform will not be the leading issue for any candidate come this November, Stewart said.
“In the overall, immigration just does not rate much importance compared to fiscal issues, health care issues and deficit issues,” Stewart said.
Mujica will continue to organize for immigration reform at the grassroots level, but he admits, with the tenuous state of health care reform and the Democratic Party in Congress, his efforts may prove futile.
“The prospect for immigration reform doesn’t look very good this year, but we will keep working on it,” he said.
