Chicago, IL – The recent special election in New Jersey’s Eleventh Congressional District drew national attention after early calls by decision desks were rushed and ultimately reversed, reflecting a familiar pattern in which insiders default to well known political figures while underestimating grassroots movements.
In response, Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign for Illinois’ Ninth Congressional District has released the following statement:
“The New Jersey special election ultimately clarified a fundamental truth. The real contest was not between an outsider and special interests, but between a career politician, an AIPAC-funded candidate, and a true progressive outsider who had never held elected office and was willing to confront power directly. That same dynamic exists in IL 09.
The New Jersey race also showed that heavy AIPAC spending and dark money do not deliver credibility or momentum. The AIPAC funded candidate failed to consolidate support and ultimately finished third. Rather than shaping the outcome, that spending clarified the stakes for voters and backfired.
Recent efforts to frame this race as a contest between a progressive outsider and a special interests candidate misrepresent the reality of IL 09.
Daniel Biss has spent his career in elected office and has continued to seek higher office despite promises to constituents to serve his full term as Mayor, claiming ‘I’m not somebody who does things halfway, I’m all in on this job.’ That is not an outsider track. It is a career political trajectory. He is attempting to portray himself as an outsider, but that claim is misleading and ignores his long tenure as a political insider.
By being the first person to file to run in this race, she has shown that she is unwilling to let the establishment get away with doing politics as normal. She is the only woman of color among the leading candidates. She built a grassroots campaign from the ground up, used campaign resources to directly aid our community, and centered opposition to authoritarianism from the beginning, including the issues of impeachment, humane foreign policy, abolishing and prosecuting ICE.
Voters are not confused about the choice in this race. They can see the difference between a career politician pretending to be an outsider, AIPAC’s attempt to buy the seat via Laura Fine, and a genuine grassroots campaign built on an authentic desire to do things differently.
Kat is the only candidate who has consistently met the moment with the urgency and moral clarity that is required of our elected officials to stand up to this administration. ”
To learn more about Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign or get involved, visit KatForIllinois.com.