Summary: Voters need to see and see on the go that Melissa Bean doesn’t share our Democratic values. While in Congress, she voted with Republicans to fund ICE, protect gun companies, and give tax cuts to the rich and powerful. Bean was even known as “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat.” That’s why Republican funded groups like AIPAC and Crypto are spending millions to support her campaign. Bean has always stood up for them, not you. We need a progressive fighter like Junaid Ahmed, who is endorsed by Bernie Sanders, in Congress. 

Core goals:

• In Weeks 2-1, the most important goal is for Democratic primary voters to see on digital and broadcast that Melissa Bean doesn’t share our Democratic values and that we need a progressive fighter like Junaid Ahmed in Congress.
• Secondly, voters 25+ should see on YouTube that Melissa Bean doesn’t share our Democratic values, and Junaid Ahmed is the fighter we need in Congress.
• Finally, voters should see districtwide on streaming TV and, if resources permit, on cable television, that Melissa Bean doesn’t share our Democratic values and Junaid Ahmed is the fighter we need in Congress.
• For groups that can only communicate positive information, voters need to see on the go that Junaid Ahmed is endorsed by Bernie Sanders and will fight for progressive priorities in congress like abolishing ICE, Medicare for All, and fighting back against the Trump Administration

Key Targets:

• First Priority Voters who need to see information about Ahmed & Bean: Women over 50
• Second Priority Voters who need to see information about Ahmed & Bean: All voters over 50
• Voters who need to see information about Ahmed & Bean: Democrat Primary Voters who have voted in 1+ of the last 3 Democratic primaries
• Finally, if resources permit, young voters and AAPI voters need to turn out at a high rate in this election

Key Citations:

• Voted to give ICE $26 Billion while she was in Congress
  • HR 2360, HR 5441, HR 2764, HR 2638, HR1, HR 2892
  • 2006 Funding, 2007 Funding, 2008 Funding, 2009 Funding, 2010 Funding
• Voted to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief resulting from the misuse of their products by others.
  • Bill Text Vote Link
• Melissa Bean is “Wall Street’s Favorite Democrat”
  • Bean’s Wall Street backers rewarded her with cushy jobs as CEO of Mesirow Financial and an executive for JP Morgan Chase.
• Melissa Bean “A Democrat Bankers Bank On”
• Melissa Bean voted for extension of the Bush Tax Cuts that lowered the capital gains tax, “Most of Bean’s fellow Democrats were disgusted by the bill. ‘Another windfall for the wealthy while everybody else gets to work for a living,’ griped Rep. Rahm Emanuel” Link
• Rep. Melissa Bean Flip-Flops on Campaign Pledge to Oppose NAFTA Expansions, Casts a Deciding CAFTA Vote. “The 20,000-member Northeastern Illinois Federation of Labor had planned to honor Bean as its 2005 “Person of the Year…On August 3, the labor federation, which includes approximately 12,000 members in Bean’s congressional district, withdrew the award because of her CAFTA vote.”  Link

Assets:*

• Media assets are linked here.