Sheyman up with first ad in Illinois

Democrat Ilya Sheyman is up with the first ad of the Democratic primary to take on freshman Rep. Robert Dold (R-Ill.) in a Democratic-leaning district outside of Chicago.

The ad paints Sheyman as the only true liberal in the primary race.

"There's no one definition of the American dream," says Sheyman, who mentions that his family were Jewish refugees from Russia and promises to defend Social Security and Medicare and "pass the jobs bill."

Sheyman, a Democratic activist in his late 20s, has received the backing of many liberal groups, including endorsements from the Progressive Campaign Change Committee, MoveOn.org and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's Democracy for America, a group he used to work for.

He faces off against businessman Brad Schneider and Air Force reservist John Tree. Sheyman has led in fundraising.

The three are vying to take on Dold in a district made more Democratic by redistricting. But Democrats have failed for a decade to win the seat despite its Democratic leaning at the national level: it was held by now-Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) for years, and Dold won the seat last election during the election's Republican wave.

Watch the ad here: