Ilya Sheyman, Progressive Groups Team Up In First Primary Test To Elect More Progressive Democrats

WASHINGTON -- In a newly redrawn congressional district covering the North Shore Chicago suburbs, progressive groups are mounting their first foray into the Democratic primaries of 2012 in an effort to elect progressive candidates across the country. With a combination of a low six-figure campaign of mailings and robocalls and strong grassroots volunteer and donor mobilization, this effort comes in contrast to the super PAC television advertising making news in both the Republican presidential primary and in other congressional races across Illinois.

The Democratic primary race in Illinois' 10th District pits Waukegan community organizer Ilya Sheyman against businessman Brad Schneider. Progressive groups like MoveOn.org, USAction, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have all gotten involved to help Sheyman win the Democratic nod to face Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.). They also hope that this marks the beginning of a successful cycle for progressives running in contested primaries. Sheyman worked previously worked as the National Mobilization Director for MoveOn during the healthcare reform debate.

"The exciting thing about it is there's a higher degree of interest in intervening in primaries than in 2010," says USAction Program Director Alan Charney. "This time there are a bunch of races that are on everyone's radar screen. Illinois 10 is the first one."

USAction has teamed up with MoveOn.org and the CWA to run an independent expenditure campaign that targets Schneider with five mailers and robocalls. The mailings all focus on Schneider's contributions to Republican congressional candidates and their votes on Social Security, Medicare, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill and a woman's right to choose. So far, the effort has only cost $87,317, although it is expected to rise to the low six figures. That small amount of money has helped shift the race, according to Charney.

"We know it's working because it brought Schneider to respond," Charney said. "We feel good about that."

Schneider's television ad responds to the mailers and the robocalls by accusing Sheyman's "out-of-state special interests" of "spreading lies about progressive Brad Schneider." In a recent candidate forum, Schneider stated that those contributions to Republicans were only made due to their "their support of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship."

A poll commissioned by PCCC and MoveOn.org found Sheyman taking a commanding lead over Schneider -- 45 percent to 27 -- after trailing in previous polls conducted before the mailing campaign.

The independent expenditure effort is not the only one undertaken by the progressive groups to help out Sheyman. PCCC is mobilizing its members in the 10th District to help Sheyman, as are the other groups. PCCC has also tapped its membership for small donations to Sheyman, for a total of about $125,000 to date, making them the biggest single fundraiser for his campaign.

Neil Sroka, PCCC's press secretary, notes that the strength of his organization, and of the progressive movement in general, isn't in making big expenditures: "Our support isn't about the money that we're putting into the race. That pales in comparison to what our members bring to the race. What we are about is boots on the ground."

PCCC is also working with Democracy for America, whose founder, former DNC chairman and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, has endorsed Sheyman through the latter group's Call Out The Vote program, which can target calls to voters in the district.

The groups involved in Illinois-10 see a Sheyman victory as a signal for Democrats running across the country, as they eye opportunities to get involved on behalf of progressive candidates this cycle.

"[Voters in Illinois' 10th District] have a tremendous candidate rooted in progressive values and who built a grassroots campaign," Sroka said. "That's a big takeaway nationally about this race. If he wins, that will send a huge message to Democrats across the country: If you run as a progressive with spine and conviction, you'll not only build a campaign with grassroots and volunteers but you'll build a campaign that can win in the general election."

Other races at which the groups are looking include New Mexico's 1st District, Maryland's 6th District, New York's 10th District and Connecticut's 5th District.

Not everyone thinks that a Sheyman win in the primary will be good for Democrats in the general election race against Rep. Dold. As Cook Political Report's David Wasserman told Slate on March 15, "This is all about how the PCCC/IL-10 Dems will find a new way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

PCCC's Sroka disagrees, contending that this cycle is different in a way that benefits progressive candidates, as issues like collective bargaining and women's rights have become national flashpoints since the 2010 cycle elected Republicans to offices across the country.

"Progressives are uniquely positioned to do well this time, because the issues that we have this time are truly fundamental. And we need to send [people like Sheyman] to Washington," Sroka said. "You don't start off by compromising your position. You need to go in there and fight for what you believe in and get the people that support you and push."

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated incorrectly that Illinois' newly redrawn 10th District contained a northern slice of the city of Chicago. In fact, no part of the city is included within the boundaries of the 10th District.

Comments

[TheBallotOrTheBullet]

11:30 PM on 03/19/2012

I'm voting for Ilya tomorrow, the only TRUE progressive on the ballot. Schneider is anti-regulation, pro wall street "blue dog democrat".

[Blueeyeddem]

10:12 PM on 03/18/2012

A vote for Sheyman is a vote for Dold. It is not realistic to think the 10th district will do a 180 degree turn and elect someone as far to the left as Dold is to the right, despite the redistricting. Sheyman may be smart and old enough to run legally, but he is just to young and too liberal to win against Dold. I have met and talked to Schneider. He is a true Democrat and holds different positions from Dold and Kirk. He has 30 years of work experience that provides skills and real life experience that Sheyman doesn't have. Just because he donated a small amount of money to a Republican candidate in the past doesn't mean he supports every vote he took. That's a big and unfair leap. Schneider did not want to run a negative campaign and has taken the high road stating his case and his positions. Sheyman has nothing to run on, so he has run a negative campaign slinging mud at Schneider. Schneider can beat Dold. Sheyman cannot. We need to unseat Dold and get rid of every teapartier we can. Vote for Schneider.

[GeorgeP922]

03:09 PM on 03/19/2012

Why is Schneider running as a republican.

Oh how sweet it will be to see one of Rahm's boys go down.

Tell rahm I said hi, and that we will never let go what he did to the Democratic party.

[GeorgeP922]

03:12 PM on 03/19/2012

Also, this is a primary to unseat a sitting republican.

You are saying that running a candidate who is qualified and honest in his beleifs, and unwilling to be bought by special interests, is not the candidate we should endorse?
WHAT?!?!?

Also, your boy is a LIAR http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/07/illinois-10th-district-president-obama-brad-schneider_n_1328147.html

[elgeezr]

11:26 AM on 03/18/2012

The guy in the picture looks as if he should be carrying a note from his mother.

[ckdogs]

11:35 AM on 03/18/2012

Ah - the trolls are out. He is an attractive young man, with more knowledge and presence than many of his "seniors".

[MtnMutt]

11:48 AM on 03/18/2012

some "trolls ' earn $.05 a comment, others $.02

[silsez]

06:49 PM on 03/18/2012

And you know this HOW?

[silsez]

06:52 PM on 03/18/2012

I thought he had to be _this high_ to ride.

[kcin]

10:52 AM on 03/18/2012

Brad Schneider did not bother to attend the Democratic Convention for the 10th District, and got only 6% of the votes cast by its members. Sheyman got 70% of the vote. These are the people who are more involved in the political process than most of us have time for.

If you look at Schneider's policy stances on issues like Social Security, he sounds like a Republican talking point memo.

If you look at Schneider's business background, his customers are the 1%.

He is endorsed by the heavily Republican-leaning Chicago Tribune.

Sheyman is young, but Schneider appears to be a Blue Dog. Look closely before you vote.

[elgeezr]

11:29 AM on 03/18/2012

And of course Sheyman, the community organizer, has the support of the same groups who got behind Obama. You guys going for hope & change again?

[ckdogs]

11:36 AM on 03/18/2012

No, we're going with competence, intelligence, and backbone - and he doesn't contribute to conservative Republicans.

[kcin]

02:50 PM on 03/18/2012

No, we are trying to avoid the disaster of Republican fiscal policy.

Republican fiscal policies destroyed our economy starting in 2007, just like they destroyed our economy in 1929.

The House of Representatives sets fiscal policy for this country. All spending bills (aka budget) have to originate with the House. It is the most powerful branch of our government, which is why our Constitution limits House terms to only 2 years. If your Representatives misbehave, you can get rid of them quickly. That assumes, of course, you are paying attention.

Republicans controlled the House for 6 consecutive elections preceding the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and for 6 consecutive elections preceding the onset of the Great Recession in 2007.

Democrats controlled the House for the 62 years in between these 2 catastrophic periods of Republican control, and presided over the most prosperous period in our history. Prior to this period there was no significant Middle Class in this country. All the wealth was concentrated at the top. When Democrats lost control of the House, over 60% of households were Middle Class. Now it is less than 40%.

It took a whole new generation of voters who lost sight of the Great Depression to be stupid enough to put the Republicans back in control. Republicans are now 2 for 2 at destroying the economy.

So, if you like the Middle Class and hate Depressions, Republicans are the bad guys.

[mamala4]

02:35 PM on 03/18/2012

And Sheyman can't win in the general election...this is not a heavy dem district....

[kcin]

02:45 PM on 03/18/2012

What is the point of winning if you elect a Republican in Democratic clothing?

If Schneider gets elected in that district it will be due to an anti-Republican vote. That same sentiment could just as easily elect Sheyman.

To me, it looks like electing Schneider looks like electing someone who will pursue current Republican policies in most cases. I don't see that as a victory for Democrats. I see that as electing a Republican plant -- a Blue Dog.

[ProgressiveChange]

10:35 AM on 03/18/2012

My fellow Progressives have done it again. This time they selected a 25 y.o. community organizer with no experience in business, government, or other vocations to run against a classic conservative first-term Congressman with significant resources. Ilya must have been MoveOn's National Mobilization Director for the healthcare reform debate, which excluded Progressive positions advocating single-payer and public options, while in college or shortly thereafter.

Mainstream Democrats managed to put up a mainstream management consultant, who, he says, contributed money to GOP candidates like Mark Kirk because of their positions in support of a strong US-Israel relationship. Such utterings are ludicrous on their face.

It appears that both Progressive and mainstream Democrats in the 10th District, where I live, cannot identify and inspire substantive, experienced and electable candidates to run for the cesspool aka Congress. There are accomplished liberal lawyers, physicians, and business men and women alll over the North Shore, who worked very hard in their professional lives ... and have the requisite Democratic principles and personal attributes to successfully defeat Dold. Unfortunately, Sheyman, who needs another 10 years of real life vocational experience outside of the cloistered MoveOn schtick, and Schneider, a centrist Democrat if at all, aren't among them.

Wasserman is right on ... 10th District Progressive Dems may indeed have found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Better candidates may be found at Metra stations during AM and PM commutes.

[elgeezr]

11:30 AM on 03/18/2012

Yeah, but Pro! He's a community organizer!

[JoeMentia]

12:07 PM on 03/18/2012

which is clearly more than you will ever accomplish in life.

[ckdogs]

11:58 AM on 03/18/2012

It is interesting that in a winnable race, none of the "heavy weight" Dems decided to run. That makes it all the more courageous for someone like Ilya to throw his hat in the ring. Imagine the drive, determination, and competence that had to be present to take on this battle - and to achieve a lead in the polls over his better financed, establishment rival. This is an amazing accomplishment for a young, first time candidate. Anyone who can start from zero, and create a winning organization, complete with endorsements from Howard Dean, Russ Feingold, NOW, Sierra Club, et.al., win a straw poll over Schneider by 73% to 6%, and be on his way to winning this election has to be an extraordinary candidate. He has won this support by the power of his ideas, his connection to the people of this district, and his tenacity and intelligence. His youth is a plus.

[thefinalsay]

09:53 AM on 03/18/2012

you want progressive ideology summed up rather quickly? they believe that unionized teachers and government workers are underpaid. at the same time, they believe that the non union labor that builds the bridges they take to get to work, should have to compete with illegal workers. and if you question their motives, they will call you a racist.

[greenie 61]

10:01 AM on 03/18/2012

L I A R.

[thefinalsay]

10:03 AM on 03/18/2012

no. 100% accurate. if I am lying, I suppose you support the laws in places like arizona that would require workers and renters to provide evidence of citizenship? didn't think so.

[P Ross]

10:49 AM on 03/18/2012

I read this and the follow on you wrote to greenie 61. It sort of reads like you want to get rid of unions in the belief that unions support illegal workers as competition with non-union bridge builders?
This fails the common sense test. Union labor would be against illegals because unskilled labor cannot build the bridge well enough and they work on a lower, non-union scale.

Second point, Arizona recently tried (operative word here) to enact laws that assumed the responsibilities of the Federal Government, hence the controversy there. Until they are reviewed and enacted, they are not laws.

Last point, look in the mirror to see if a charge of racist is in order. I wonder about the motives behind many posts here.

[thefinalsay]

11:29 AM on 03/18/2012

you fail the common sense test. 99% of people who build bridges aren't in unions. you deal with some sort of fictional reality, while deal with actual reality. oh, and thank you for the subtle attempt to play the race card. you are reason number 1 that progressives and liberals are viewed as complete and total jokes.

[thefinalsay]

11:29 AM on 03/18/2012

also, if you are wondering about the "motives" you are paranoid.

[thefinalsay]

09:49 AM on 03/18/2012

that kid in the photo looks like he's 4.

[VikingQuest]

10:09 AM on 03/18/2012

I think he's benefiting from the new health care law that allows you to stay on your parent's insurance until you are30 :)

[ProgressiveChange]

10:41 AM on 03/18/2012

You should see the television commercials! The only shot Ilya has is to find a dermatologist fast, mature about 10 years, and stop relying on his community organizer schtick

[cjjanis]

09:47 AM on 03/18/2012

A conservative businessman is running for Congress in a Democratic primary who has given money to right-wing Republicans. He says we need to have a "hard conversation" about Social Security and Medicare.

Brad Schneider is not a real Democrat -- and apparently he's not very honest either. Huffington Post reports that Schneider put President Obama's face on a flyer "in the section with the endorsements" -- prompting Obama to make clear this week that he does not endorse Schneider.

[cjjanis]

09:45 AM on 03/18/2012

Brad Schneider is a fake dem, he is a republican. He has donated to republicans, he pushs their agenda. Brad Schneider is a republican plant........................

[elgeezr]

11:34 AM on 03/18/2012

Sure hope so.

[VikingQuest]

09:37 AM on 03/18/2012

Progressives can win a few House seats because all you need is a small number of votes and maybe a Senate seat but let's be honest progressives . . . most Americans don't support Government being everything to everyone.

"A December Gallup poll showed Americans' fear of big government has reached near-record levels, with 64 percent deeming it a bigger threat to the country than big business or big labor. Driving the increase was a rise in the percentage of Democrats who view the government as ever-more threatening."

[TMcKeon]

09:39 AM on 03/18/2012

A lot has happened since December, not the least of which is the GOP's absolute dismissal of the unemployment issue and the absolute embracing of defunding valuable health services for women. If the GOP is against government "being everything to everyone," please explain their obsession with uteri.

[VikingQuest]

09:42 AM on 03/18/2012

Great, the far right's view is no birth control and the far left progressive view is condoms for 10 year olds and on demand abortions . . .

Americans are somewhere in between that.

[elgeezr]

11:36 AM on 03/18/2012

"...be honest progressives...." ahahahahahaaahhaa! Great one Quest. Faved

[jmpurser]

09:26 AM on 03/18/2012

"...progressive groups are mounting their first foray into the Democratic primaries of 2012..."

Then "progressives" have already lost.  The Democratic party is every bit as anti-progressive as the GOP.  If a "progressive" is running in a Democratic party primary then either they are not a progressive or they're demonstrating they  have no real concept of American politics.

You CANNOT fix the "two party system" from within the two parties.  If you do what you did you'll get what you got.  For the last 30 years we've been tag teaming between the Democratic party and the GOP.  Do you LIKE what we got?  Then you have to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

[gevan]

09:31 AM on 03/18/2012

If I were you I'd move to Canada.

[nutzodriven]

09:25 AM on 03/18/2012

Hope the people in Waukegan keep their heads and realize the progressive are all about destroying this country. Community Organizing,equals communism,socialist,facsist society where the elites in power have everything and the rest have nothing. They might protray it as everyone is equal, but its not, look at the failed nations that went that route, the rulers had the wealt and the workers were trying to survive. See it happening in Detroit, LA, and other progressive cities why the people struggle and or leave the ruling class has everything.

[jmpurser]

09:28 AM on 03/18/2012

You might want to look up some of the words you're using.  You appear to have no concept of what many of them mean.

[greenie 61]

09:50 AM on 03/18/2012

Actually, it is C0NServatism that is destroying this country with their decade of wars & their version of 'austerity.'

[Duppy]

08:39 AM on 03/18/2012

North Shore Chicago suburbs? Not good for Democrats. Lots of rich_whites live in that area.

[nutzodriven]

09:27 AM on 03/18/2012

Racist are you? Lot of rich Blacks live there also, Cousre if it gets out they will be called sell outs by the left so that is why they dont advertise it.

[Jinni]

12:11 PM on 03/18/2012

quite an idiotic and racist statement. Yes places like the 10th district are 71% white, 5% black, 15% hispanic, and 8.5% asian. In 2008, Mark Kirk (R) beat the Democrat candidate Dan Seals (African American) by a mere 2%...not exactly a landslide. In 2010 Robert Dold beat Dan Seals by a mere 2.2%. My point is the 10th District isn't really a Red District, and remember Dold ran as a democrat 3 times.

[hawkmoon]

10:31 AM on 03/18/2012

I was raised in one of the 'blue collar' pockets of a North Shore Chicago suburb and yes, it's an extremely wealthy area and Republican. I still live in the 10th District, but not along the North Shore. Since the redistricting though, it now takes in a lot of unwealthy, working class, poorer and more diversified communities. This is a good thing and I hope Mr. Sheyman wins. Dold is from Kenilworth, one of the wealthiest communities in the country, totally out of touch with the working class.

[elgeezr]

11:39 AM on 03/18/2012

If Ilya wins, who will drive him to work everyday? Will he take a bus?

[PerryLogan]

08:14 AM on 03/18/2012

Unfortunately, today's progressives don't know a Democrat from a neocon. I cite Obama as proof.

[cjjanis]

09:27 AM on 03/18/2012

See most folks knew Obama was not a progressive nor a liberal. He had a long history of working with both sides in the IL senate and US senate.

[greenie 61]

09:53 AM on 03/18/2012

Which is why it's laughable to us when he's called "a socialist."

[ProgressiveChange]

10:52 AM on 03/18/2012

Yep ... he worked both sides ... and sustained the delusion that he could do it as President. Obama sold a lot of hope ... changed little ... and left some of us breathless with disappointment. Had his conciliatory posture won big ... we would be applauding. He abdicated for 3 years and throws bones to Progressives in his 4th year. Intellectual masturbation ain't where most voters are ... they don't read HuffPost. They cry all the way to the gas pumps. An aggressive DOJ task force devoted to bringing in oil speculators for 48-72 hours of questioning would do wonders for Obama's campaign and lowering fuel prices. He won't do it.

Axelrod was sticking with international tensions as the rationale for outrageous fuel prices on Face the Nation this morning. Truthiness is evaded incessantly by the Obama think tank.

[sdanca4]

07:51 AM on 03/18/2012

Come on Ilya Sheyman's ....that's the District that has "zombies' walking around after the closing of Johnson Motors, American Motors, Chyrsler, the Tanneries and all the other livable wage jobs.....The air is being Poisoned DAILY ABBOTT LABS and the community is powerless, broke and beaten down. This is Kirks district. He's never done anything there. Waukegan and N.Chicago....better start Fighting Back!

[Burden of Truth]

09:08 AM on 03/18/2012

agreed Krik is just a wast of space. all he ever did was march lock step with the rest of the GOP fools.

[nutzodriven]

09:30 AM on 03/18/2012

just like the democrats march lockstep with the rest of the dnc fools. Need to get someone not a progressice since they lock stepping togeather . Some one who will actually do something instead of repeating talking points of the left or right. So far both spout off the same stuff, Just worded differently.

[sdanca4]

10:16 AM on 03/18/2012

I lived in the Northern Burbs of Chicago...he did Absolutely nothing for certain depleted areas. He catered to the richest in those districts...nothing for the "peasants" who sit in the seat of Lake County who breath toxic emission from Abbott Labs. Even the workers don't live in that community.