Downers Grove, IL — As voting begins in the Democratic Primary in Illinois 6th Congressional District, new polling shows U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL) with a robust 9-point lead – prior to his campaign spending a single dollar on television advertisements.

Key highlights from the poll:

– Overall, Sean Casten has opened up a nine-point advantage over Marie Newman since January when the race was a dead heat.

– Casten leads Newman among progressives (+7), liberals (+11), and moderates/conservatives (+10).

– Casten is ahead of Newman with women (+5) and men (+14).

– Casten has a significant lead among voters citing abortion as their top issue (+15).

No information was provided about any candidate prior to the questions related to this data.

This latest poll is continued evidence of Rep. Casten’s momentum in the race, and comes on the heels of major endorsements from throughout the 6th District and strong fundraising numbers.

Rep. Casten has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the Illinois Education Association, IBEW State Council, IBEW International, Chicago Firefighters Local 2, the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, the League of Conservation Voters, NRDC Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, 314 Action Fund, Reps. Bill Foster, Brad Schneider, Katie Porter, and 12 other Members of Congress, 14 local unions, and 60 local elected officials from every part of the 6th District.

After Rep. Newman’s bribery investigation was referred to the House Ethics Committee, she posted one of her worst fundraising quarters ever, as multiple key staff left her team and allied labor groups publicly questioned her path to victory. With a 4x cash advantage over his opponent, a significant polling advantage, and the recent announcement of a nearly seven-figure television advertisement buy, Rep. Casten is extremely well-positioned to win the Democratic nomination for IL-06.

“Voters across the district overwhelmingly support Rep. Casten’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, protecting a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, and lowering costs for families,” said Casten for Congress Spokesman Jacob Vurpillat. “When they vote for Rep. Casten, they know they’re voting for someone who they can trust to remain committed to his values and his ethics.”

You can find a memo with the polling information here.