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Primary Results Overview
Daniel Biss secured victory in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District, defeating progressive Palestinian American candidate Kat Abughazaleh in a crowded field of 15 candidates.
“Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss defeated two strong competitors in the Democratic primary to replace longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in Illinois's 9th District on Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race for Biss at 10:36 p.m., over two hours after the polls closed. Biss won with 29.6% of the vote, with progressive Kat Abughazaleh coming in second place with 25.6% of the vote. Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine came in third with 20.4%.”
Biss won with 29.6% of the vote, while Abughazaleh finished second with 25.6%, and state Sen. Laura Fine came in third with 20.4%.
The Associated Press called the race for Biss over two hours after polls closed at 7 p.m., with 91% of votes counted according to preliminary results.
Biss will now face Republican John Elleson in the November general election, where he is heavily favored to win in this safely Democratic district that hasn't elected a Republican since 1946.
AIPAC Spending Strategy
The race was defined by massive outside spending from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which spent over $7 million attempting to influence the outcome.
Initially, AIPAC-affiliated groups like Elect Chicago Women spent millions targeting Biss, who is Jewish, because of his more moderate positions on Middle East politics, including support for conditions on aid to Israel.
However, as Abughazaleh's progressive campaign gained momentum in the final days, AIPAC shifted strategy and spent approximately $266,000 through the Chicago Progressive Partnership to oppose her directly.
J Street, a liberal counterweight to AIPAC, intervened on Biss's behalf, bundling more than $200,000 for his campaign while an affiliated super PAC spent $150,000.
Candidate Backgrounds
The candidates brought contrasting backgrounds and ideologies to the race.
“This is the mayor's second attempt at a higher office, after losing a 2018 bid for governor against Pritzker. Unlike the Senate race, the 9th District's Democratic primary was a target of allies of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobbying group.”
Biss, a 48-year-old former math professor who has served as Evanston mayor since 2021 and previously as state senator from 2013-2019, entered the race with established progressive credentials.
He ran on a platform emphasizing workers' rights, climate action, addressing income inequality, and protecting programs like Medicare and Social Security.
Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Palestinian American progressive influencer and former journalist, built her campaign on an anti-establishment message, criticizing Democratic Party norms and positioning herself as part of a new generation of leadership.
She had gained national attention after being arrested on federal charges for protesting outside an ICE detention facility and had characterized Israel's military operations in Gaza as genocide.
Fine, the third-place finisher, was seen as the more moderate candidate and received significant support from AIPAC-aligned groups.
Political Implications
The results carry significant implications for the Democratic Party and the influence of outside spending in primaries.
Biss framed his victory as a rejection of AIPAC's attempts to 'buy' the seat, declaring in his victory speech that 'AIPAC found out the hard way: The 9th District is not for sale.'
Progressive groups celebrated the outcome as proof that voters could see through corporate-funded ads, though AIPAC allies put a positive spin on their efforts, noting they had defeated Abughazaleh.
The race was widely seen as a bellwether for Democratic voters looking for the next generation of party leadership, with Biss emphasizing his experience and Abughazaleh representing a newer, more confrontational approach to politics.
The results also reflect the complex dynamics within the Democratic Party regarding Israel policy, as Biss supports conditions on aid while Abughazaleh takes a harder line against Israeli military operations.
Campaign Controversy
The campaign concluded with controversy involving Biss, as a former student alleged he had maintained an 'inappropriate romantic relationship' with her when she was an undergraduate and he was a postdoctoral instructor at the University of Chicago.
“Earlier this year, the influencer faced controversy after she doozed through a virtual forum, which she blamed on narcolepsy-induced 'sleep attacks.' Meanwhile, Biss was accused by Megan Wachspress of having a relationship with her when she was a mathematics and political science major at UChicago in a Bluesky and Substack post on Monday. A spokesperson for the aspiring congressman said in a statement late Monday that Biss was 26 and Wachspress was 20 when the 'ill-advised relationship' took place. He was not married at the time.”
The Biss campaign acknowledged the relationship occurred in 2004 when Biss was 26 and the student was 20, calling it 'ill-advised' and noting he ended it.
Despite this late-breaking controversy and AIPAC's massive spending against him, Biss maintained his lead and secured the nomination.
His victory speech emphasized fighting for progressive values and rejecting what he called AIPAC's pressure to abandon nuanced positions on Middle East issues, positioning himself as a tested progressive who could withstand both outside attacks and internal party pressures.