Prairie State Wire

Illinois voters supportive of the United States adopting a socialist economic and political system have been campaigning vigorously for three marquee candidates on the March 17 Democrat primary ballot.

U.S. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx of Flossmoor and U.S. congressional candidate Marie Newman of La Grange have received the  most endorsements from socialist-sympathizing groups this election cycle.

Foxx and Newman themselves have both been endorsed by Sanders, the nation’s most well-known socialist and current front-runner for the Democrat nomination for president. They hope to ride his coat-tails to primary victories.

Maligned locally for her handling of the Jussie Smollett affair, Foxx has earned national acclaim from socialists hoping to “remake” the nation’s criminal justice system. Led by billionaire mega-donor George Soros, they are seeking to elect county and city-level prosecuting attorneys like Foxx who will refuse to prosecute even serious offenses, end-running state legislatures they believe are too “tough on crime.”

Newman’s opponents dub her “Mini-AOC,” a reference to the iconic socialist freshman U.S. Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) after whom she has modeled elements of her campaign. Ocasio-Cortes, as well as fellow socialist “squad” member U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), endorsed Newman over her opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) of Western Springs.

“(Ocasio-Cortez’) unwavering dedication to fighting for social, climate and economic justice is a true inspiration,” Newman said in September, in response to her endorsement.

First-ever endorsement

The Indivisible Project is a socialist advocacy group claiming chapters across the Chicagoland area, many of which are endorsing and actively campaigning for Sanders, Foxx and Newman.

Last November, its Chicago chapter announced its first ever formal endorsement of a candidate, backing Newman. Indivisible chapters in Berwyn, Brookfield, DuPage County, Western Springs and La Grange have subsequently followed suit; all are hosting canvassing events on weekends in support of her campaign.

Earlier this month, Indivisible’s Chicago-South Side chapter endorsed Foxx, dubbing her a “leader in criminal justice reform.” And the group’s North Side chapter held a “day of action” for Foxx last Sunday, featuring socialist U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and former socialist candidate for Illinois Governor Daniel Biss, both of Evanston.

“The people fighting (Kim Foxx) have been fighting this vision of criminal justice reform for a very long time,” Biss said. “The people who want to roll back all of our advances are scared.”

“Eliminating racist and prejudice practices”

Reclaim Chicago, a socialist activist group that describes its mission as “building Bernie Sanders’ political revolution in the greater Chicago area,” lists Sanders, Foxx and Newman as its priority candidates for 2020.

Reclaim supports Sanders’ key platform planks of eliminating private health care, doubling federal income taxes, banning fossil fuels and allowing for open federal borders, thus ending illegal immigration by making it legal.

The group campaigned successfully last year for members of the Chicago City Council’s new “socialist caucus,” three of whom-- Ald. Bryon Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) and Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) -- have endorsed Newman.

Reclaim’s “Mass Liberation Team” calls Foxx’s re-election “one of the most urgent and important things we can do in the next year,” touting her “restorative justice practices,” such as allowing even some violent criminals to be released without posting bail.

Foxx is “eliminating racist and prejudice practices from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office,” the group says.

“Kim Foxx believes in our liberation,” says Rev. Lawrence Marshall of Payne Chapel AME Church in Chicago Heights.