Progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh launches primary bid to unseat longtime Democrat
Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive influencer and former video producer at Media Matters for America, has announced her candidacy to challenge incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in the 2026 midterm elections. Abughazaleh, who has gained a meaningful following on TikTok, expressed her frustration with the Democratic Party’s response to the Trump governance, advocating for a generational shift in leadership. Though she did not directly name Schakowsky, her remarks highlight the need for new approaches within the party. Schakowsky, who has held her seat since 1999 in a strongly Democratic district, has yet to declare whether she will seek reelection. In response to Abughazaleh’s candidacy,Schakowsky welcomed increased participation in the democratic process.
Progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh launches primary bid against longtime House Democrat
A progressive influencer launched a bid to unseat longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).
Kat Abughazaleh, 26, announced Monday that she would challenge Schakowsky in the 2026 midterm elections. Abughazaleh is a former video producer at the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America and has hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok.
“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 announcing her bid.
“So I say it’s time to drop the excuses and grow a f‑‑‑ing spine. I’m Kat Abughazaleh, and I’m running for Congress in Illinois’s 9th District,” she said.
Abughazaleh noted she has grown frustrated with the Democratic Party’s opposition to Trump. She said, “This party has become one where you have to look to the exceptions for real leadership, and the majority work from an outdated playbook.”
Her announcement came as liberal grassroots activists have grown increasingly frustrated with the Democrats’ opposition, or lack thereof, to the Trump administration’s agenda.
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL EMERGE AS SOME OF THE ONLY REAL RESISTANCE AGAINST TRUMP 2.0
Abughazaleh did not acknowledge Schakowsky, 80, by name but repeated that there needs to be a generational change. Schakowsky has represented Illinois’s 9th Congressional District, which includes many northern Chicago suburbs, since 1999. It is a heavily Democratic district, so if Abughazaleh wins the primary, she would likely win the congressional seat.
Schakowsky has not announced a run for reelection. In a statement acknowledging the looming challenge, Schakowsky said, “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.”
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