Progressive influencer launches bid to unseat House Democrat
Progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh announced on Monday that she’s launching a bid to unseat Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) in the northern Chicago suburbs.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling our country piece by piece, and so many Democrats seem content to just sit back and let ‘em,” Abughazaleh said in a video announced her candidacy on X.
“So I say it's time to drop the excuses and grow a fucking spine. I'm Kate Abughazaleh, and I'm running for Congress in Illinois’ Ninth district.”
Abughazaleh is a former video producer at the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America who has also garnered a TikTok following of more than 217,000 people. Though the 26-year-old declines to explicitly name Schakowsky, 80, in her video or on her website, the progressive influencer makes clear that the district needs a generational change.
“We deserve Representatives who face the same challenges we do (or at least have some time in the last decade),” Abughazaleh says on her campaign website. “They don't deal with out-of-pocket prescription costs or nightmarish rent hikes or existential fear about their lives in 50 years. You and I do.”
Her website also maps a timeline of when Schakowsky was elected to Congress and highlights the fact that she’s been in the House for 14 years.
"What makes our community, and our country, so great is that we welcome all voices and ideas. I have always encouraged more participation in the democratic process, and I'm glad to see new faces getting involved as we stand up against the Trump Administration. Right now, that's what I'm focused on: fighting back against this extreme MAGA regime,” Schakowsky said in a statement.
"Make no mistake about it, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are dead set on ripping away health care from millions of Americans and taking food off families’ tables to give trillions in tax cuts to billionaires. I will never stop fighting against these shameful policies and will continue working to make life better for every single American."
Illinois’ 9th Congressional District is located in the northern Chicago suburbs, and includes Evanston, Skokie and Niles.
The district is reliably Democratic, meaning whoever wins the primary is the heavy favorite to take the seat in the general election.
Abughazaleh would be the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress if she prevailed in the district; Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) was the first Gen Z lawmaker to be elected to Congress in 2022.
Topics
-
'SNL' taps into cynicism over Elon Musk's White House influence
Questions about tech investor Elon Musk's extraordinary influence in President Donald Trump's White House found answers that doubled as punchlines on "Saturday Night Live."NBC News - Mar. 9 -
Former Houston City Council member launches House bid to succeed late Sylvester Turner
Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards announced her bid for Congress on Wednesday to fill the seat vacated after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), saying the Democratic ...The Hill - 6d -
Tennessee Rep. John Rose launches bid for governor
Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) announced Thursday that he’s running for Tennessee governor to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee (R). “Today, as the grateful descendent of fearless Tennessee pioneers and ...The Hill - 5d -
The Tesla is no longer a progressive status symbol
From celebrities to school teachers, some Tesla owners are offloading their vehicles due to CEO Elon Musks's political influence.NBC News - Mar. 17 -
Trump allies launch a bid to take control of a powerful Washington legal group
Two Trump allies — including Attorney General Pam Bondi's brother — have launched bids for leadership roles with the D.C. Bar Association.NBC News - Mar. 8 -
Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona dies at 77
Longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., a leading progressive voice on the environment and climate change, died Thursday from “complications of his cancer treatment,” his office announced in a ...NBC News - Mar. 13 -
Top budget Democrat: GOP spending bill hands ‘a blank check to Elon Musk’
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, slammed the new House Republicans’ six-month stopgap funding bill, claiming it is a “blank check” for tech ...The Hill - Mar. 8 -
Elon Musk could be a bridge between the U.S. and China — but for which country’s benefit?
Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s financial interests in China have raised concern that they could influence his work as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.NBC News - Mar. 16 -
House Democrats launch investigation of DHS ads on Trump immigration policies
House Democrats are launching an investigation into an ad campaign from the Trump administration on its immigration policies, saying it may have violated federal spending guidelines by promoting ...The Hill - 4d
More from The Hill
-
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 21m -
Senate confirms Trump's nominee to run NIH
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the next leader of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya was confirmed on a party line vote, 53 to 47. ...The Hill - 21m -
Trump orders declassification of FBI’s Russia investigation
President Trump on Tuesday signed a memorandum directing the declassification of FBI files related to the investigation into his 2016 campaign's potential ties to Russia. The memorandum calls for ...The Hill - 3h -
In Trump versus the Constitution, Congress is backing the wrong side
We urgently need our courts and our elected officials, Democrats and Republicans, to reaffirm the checks and balances designed to prevent abuses of power by any president.The Hill - 1d -
Carville on Schumer CR vote: ‘This might turn out to be a wiser decision than people think’
Democratic strategist James Carville weighed in on Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s (N.Y.) decision to vote in favor of the House GOP-led continuing resolution, saying it might turn out to ...The Hill - Mar. 18
More in Politics
-
Jeffries calls for firing Hegseth over war plans group chat
Politico - 1h -
Jeffries calls for firing Hegseth over war plans group chat
Politico - 1h -
White House will make sure Signal group chat incident never happens again, says top GOP lawmaker
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) joined Meet the Press NOW to discuss the group chat in which members of the Trump administration discussed plans to launch airstrikes against Houthi ...NBC News - 2h -
Steve Kornacki: Wisconsin Supreme Court race will test Democrat’s off-year turnout 'advantage'
NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki digs into battleground Wisconsin ahead of the state’s Supreme Court election.NBC News - 2h -
Trump administration has 'very little concern' with national security team after group chat leak
NBC News Correspondents Vaughn Hillyard and Courtney Kube join Meet the Press NOW to discuss the fallout after the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic was mistakenly added to a group chat with White ...NBC News - 2h