ich ' s ▁staff , ▁Lip in ski ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁communic ations ▁staff ▁a ide ▁to ▁then - H ouse ▁Minor ity ▁Le ader ▁Dick ▁Ge ph ard t . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Lip in ski ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Tennessee , ▁where ▁he ▁remained ▁until ▁his ▁election ▁to ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Lip in ski ' s ▁father ▁ran ▁for ▁re - nom ination ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary . ▁After ▁easily ▁winning ▁the ▁nom ination , ▁the ▁elder ▁Lip in ski ▁announced ▁his ▁ret irement . ▁As ▁the ▁Democratic ▁comm itte eman ▁for ▁Chicago ' s ▁ 2 3 rd ▁Ward — which ▁is ▁virt ually ▁co ext ensive ▁with ▁the ▁Chicago ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁district — he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁state ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁to ▁select ▁his ▁son ▁to ▁replace ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot . ▁The ▁move ▁was ▁somewhat ▁controvers ial ; ▁since ▁the ▁younger ▁Lip in ski ▁had ▁not ▁lived ▁regularly ▁in ▁Illinois ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁or ▁run ▁for ▁elected ▁office ▁before , ▁but ▁it ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁sid est ep ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary — the ▁real ▁contest ▁in ▁this ▁heavily ▁Democratic ▁district . ▁He ▁then ▁bought ▁a ▁home ▁in ▁Western ▁Spr