Robert Peters, a far-left state senator from Illinois who is now competing in a crowded Democratic primary for a safely blue Chicago-area House seat, has made anti-AIPAC messaging a central focus of his campaign, castigating the pro-Israel group as a corrupting force in congressional elections funded by Trump-aligned interests scheming to promote a “right-wing agenda.”

Just last week, for instance, Peters joined forces with a coalition of progressive House candidates in Illinois to decry AIPAC’s recently reported political engagement in key congressional races in the state, claiming that anyone who accepts support from the group will become “a ‘yes man’ to Trump donors to commit unspeakable horrors in another part of the world.”

Not long after he had launched his campaign last year, however, Peters met privately with an AIPAC official in Chicago and then filed an Israel position paper at the group’s request, according to a person with close ties to the organization who reviewed the document at the time it was submitted. 

The behind-the-scenes engagement — rumors about which have circulated among Peters’ opponents — raises questions about the sincerity of his hostile rhetoric toward AIPAC as he now is building support from prominent Israel critics.

Most likely, the source familiar with the matter suggested to Jewish Insider this week, Peters was “seeking AIPAC’s good grace” in a strategic effort to preempt attacks from its super PAC, United Democracy Project, which often targets candidates who stray from pro-Israel messaging. 

“Israel is a vital partner to the United States, and Congress must ensure that this special relationship is preserved,” Peters wrote in his paper, confirming in a separate section he is “committed to ensuring the U.S. continues to be an essential ally of Israel, including funding foreign aid to protect the people of Israel from terrorism, cyber threats and missile attacks.”

The group is now facing scrutiny over its alleged covert funding of a newly formed super PAC, called Affordable Chicago Now!, which is investing heavily in Peters’ race to help boost a top rival, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, a pro-Israel Democratic candidate. Peters, for his part, has accused “AIPAC and Trump donors” of “pouring cash” into Miller’s primary bid, warning “AIPAC and Trump allies” are now “trying to buy this seat,” though AIPAC has not endorsed her and UDP is not publicly involved in the race in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. (UDP did not respond to a request for comment.)

The policy paper that Peters allegedly submitted to AIPAC — screenshots of which were obtained by JI — is far more measured than the anti-Israel stances he now espouses. Most strikingly, he voiced support for upholding continued U.S. military aid to Israel, which the group views as one of its top litmus tests. Earlier this month, for example, UDP invested millions on attack ads in a special House primary in a wealthy suburb of northern New Jersey, hitting an erstwhile ally, former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), who had entertained policies to condition assistance to Israel. 

“Israel is a vital partner to the United States, and Congress must ensure that this special relationship is preserved,” Peters wrote in his paper, confirming in a separate section he is “committed to ensuring the U.S. continues to be an essential ally of Israel, including funding foreign aid to protect the people of Israel from terrorism, cyber threats and missile attacks.”

By contrast, Peters has more recently condemned AIPAC-backed candidates as pro-Israel pawns “OK with unconditional military aid” to support what he calls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “war machine,” which he says committed genocide in Gaza. If elected, Peters has pledged to sign on to the Block the Bombs Act, a bill that seeks to impose sweeping new conditions on U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.

Matthew Fisch, a spokesperson for Peters, said in a statement to JI on Wednesday that the state senator has shared his Israel position paper “with a range of stakeholders and individuals upon request, some of whom responded with feedback for our campaign.”

“Among those stakeholders was AIPAC staffer Martin Ritter, who has a longstanding relationship with Robert going back to his days as an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union,” Fisch said. He claimed that Ritter, who directs AIPAC’s Midwest outreach in Chicago, “requested the document and provided feedback, which our campaign promptly rejected.”

Peters “is not and has never been open to receiving support from AIPAC for his campaign,” Fisch said, noting the candidate’s “positions on this issue are well documented and have been widely discussed.”

When JI first reached out to Peters’ campaign last October to inquire about the paper, Fisch said the document had been “drafted in the early months of the campaign to share with any and all stakeholders from across the spectrum of viewpoints,” and that it had “reflected Robert’s nuanced position on a range of subjects in the context of that moment.”

He did not respond to follow-up questions from JI at the time asking if the paper had been submitted to AIPAC.

Peters, a Jewish convert, had long been prominently opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza, joining at least one anti-Israel protest affiliated with the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, the latter of which is now backing his campaign. He called for a ceasefire in mid-November 2023, just over a month after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, writing in an opinion piece that he had “watched the unprecedented bombing campaign rain down on” Gaza and “saw that it was being done in our name, as Jews and as Americans.”

But even as Peters’ outspoken views on Israel would seem to preclude any outreach to AIPAC, the source familiar with his engagement, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, said he had regularly been in touch with the group at least until January, when he spoke with Ritter to express his concerns that the paper had been leaked.

Fisch confirmed that a call took place last month but said Ritter initiated it. “At the time, he falsely insisted to Robert that AIPAC was not supporting Commissioner Miller,” he told JI, “something that proved demonstrably false just a few days later.”

“Robert has always supported conditioning aid and ensuring it is in full compliance with the Leahy Law and international law,” Matthew Fisch, a spokesperson for Peters, told JI, adding the paper “does not mention the Block the Bombs Act because it was drafted prior to the bill’s introduction.”

Ritter, for his part, referred questions to an AIPAC spokesperson. “Like many advocacy organizations,” the spokesperson said in a statement to JI, “AIPAC routinely meets with candidates across the country to understand their views on issues important to its members.”

In some ways, the paper seems written specifically to meet AIPAC’s approval — including in its support for “fully” implementing the Taylor Force Act, a key legislative tool favored by the lobbying group that withholds direct aid to the Palestinian Authority until it ceases payments to convicted terrorists or members of their families.

But Fisch insisted that the paper is consistent with Peters’ long-standing Middle East policy positions. “Robert has always supported conditioning aid and ensuring it is in full compliance with the Leahy Law and international law,” he told JI, adding the paper “does not mention the Block the Bombs Act because it was drafted prior to the bill’s introduction.”

In a section of the paper on foreign aid to Israel reviewed by JI, Peters made no explicit argument for conditions, saying only that he supports “the continuation of aid in the framework of President Obama’s 2016 Memorandum of Understanding, compliant with existing U.S. law.” The 10-year agreement, set to expire in 2028, provides $3.8 billion in military aid and missile-defense funding to Israel annually — assistance the Block the Bombs Act is designed to challenge. Critics have argued the proposed legislation would effectively amount to an arms embargo on Israel for many key weapons systems.

Peters, 40, has largely positioned himself as a progressive front-runner in the March 17 primary, where 10 candidates are competing to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), who is running for Senate. In addition to Peters and Miller, the primary field includes former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), who is drawing support from an AI-backed super PAC, and state Sen. Willie Preston, among others candidates.

During a recent candidate forum, Preston accused Peters of being dishonest in his AIPAC messaging. “Robert Peters tells you AIPAC hates him,” Preston said, according to video of the event reviewed by JI. “He sought their support — they just didn’t give it to him.”

Peters, in his own remarks at the forum, said that he shared a “position paper” with “Palestinian-led organizations,” among other organizations he claimed “groups like AIPAC fundamentally hate,” according to the video. He denounced AIPAC as a “right-wing, Trump-allied” organization, and said that “anybody taking” its support “is disqualified to represent” the district in Congress.

Peters has claimed major endorsements from leading Israel critics, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL) — who introduced the Block the Bombs Act last May. He has also won support from anti-Israel groups such as the Working Families Party, which endorsed his campaign on Tuesday, and the anti-Israel AIPAC Tracker, which has argued that candidates “only submit a policy paper to AIPAC if” they are “angling for” support from the organization.

Peters is not the only Israel critic now seeking the Democratic nomination in an Illinois primary race to have allegedly engaged in discussion with AIPAC. Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston who is hoping to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in the suburbs of Chicago, sought backing from the group before he announced his run for Congress last year, JI has reported, though he denies having done so.

Biss has claimed publicly he met with AIPAC in an effort to stave off potential spending by the group in his race.

In recent weeks, AIPAC has become a particularly divisive subject of debate in Illinois as the group has ramped up its spending while facing accusations it is attempting to hide its involvement in some districts by operating under the cover of newly created super PACs not required to disclose their funding sources until after the primaries.

“He is practiced in the ways of politics,” Tom Bowen, a Democratic strategist in Chicago who is not involved in Peters’ primary, told JI on Wednesday. “That he submitted a paper in order to demonstrate he would be a collaborative elected official, I’m not surprised at all. Robert understands politics, and you have to build coalitions in order to legislate.”

Last week, for example, Schakowsky said she was rescinding her endorsement of Miller because of support the county commissioner has reportedly received from AIPAC-aligned forces in her primary. “Illinois deserves leaders who put voters first,” the congresswoman said in a statement, “not AIPAC or out-of-state Trump donors.” 

In a separate Democratic House primary in the state, meanwhile, Anthony Driver Jr., a progressive candidate critical of Israel, said recently that he was rejecting a campaign contribution from a prominent Jewish party donor in Chicago, Michael Sacks, over his ties to AIPAC — a move Sacks lamented as a sign of growing “anti-Israel sentiment and outright Jew hate.”

Tom Bowen, a Democratic strategist in Chicago who is not involved in Peters’ primary, said he would not be surprised if the candidate had privately engaged with AIPAC, calling him a savvy political operator.

“He is practiced in the ways of politics,” he told JI on Wednesday. “That he submitted a paper in order to demonstrate he would be a collaborative elected official, I’m not surprised at all. Robert understands politics, and you have to build coalitions in order to legislate.”

As for why he is “saying what he’s saying today,” Bowen suggested that there is “obviously political opportunity in corralling support from the folks in Congress who make” Israel “a top issue for national fundraising.”

“In many races in Illinois now, it is very difficult to forge broad coalitions,” Bowen added. “Ultimately,” the candidates are working to build coalitions “they think they need to win.”

A prominent Jewish Chicago-area Democratic donor and philanthropist lamented rising anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism after a progressive Illinois congressional candidate issued a public statement saying he would reject the donor’s contribution to his campaign due to his ties to AIPAC.

Union organizer Anthony Driver Jr. is running in Illinois’s 7th Congressional District, on a platform critical of Israel and in opposition to AIPAC. He said in a statement that he would return a contribution by Michael Sacks, a local Jewish, pro-Israel philanthropist and Democratic donor who had been a prominent supporter of former President Barack Obama and close ally to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Sacks also chaired the 2024 Democratic National Convention host committee and raised nearly $100 million to put on the convention.

“Michael Sacks has supported community violence intervention work in Chicago for years. I served nearly four years as President of the Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, helping advance real public safety reform,” Driver said. “The first time I heard about any link between Michael Sacks and AIPAC was on the debate stage. As I said on that same stage, I will return the contribution.”

Sacks, in response, pointed to public anti-Israel and antisemitic currents as pushing Driver, who has been endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, to take such a position.

“It is truly sad there is so much anti-Israel sentiment and outright Jew hate that Anthony found himself in this position,” Sacks said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune. “I can only hope that the electorate rejects hate in all forms.”

Sacks said he asked Driver to contribute the donations to a community violence prevention group of his choosing, calling Driver a “pragmatic [progressive]” and praising his work on violence reduction.

On the campaign trail, Driver has railed against AIPAC and spending by its super PAC, supporting one of his rivals, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. Conyears-Ervin faced attacks by several of her opponents about her support from AIPAC’s super PAC during a candidate forum last week.

Driver also states on his campaign website that he supports efforts to restrict offensive weapons transfers to Israel, including the Block the Bombs Act, and the recognition of Palestinian right of return.

Driver’s unwillingness to even accept support from a pro-Israel donor underscores the deepening hostility to Israel and its supporters in certain Democratic circles. As part of their anti-Israel campaign, progressives are working to make campaign contributions from individuals who have supported pro-Israel causes unacceptable — even if they haven’t been directly connected with AIPAC. 

An outside group began an ad campaign in the Chicago area on Saturday attacking Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, a progressive congressional candidate in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.

The ad campaign by Elect Chicago Women — a super PAC rumored to be a vehicle for pro-Israel supporters which has been a leading backer of Biss’ opponent, state Sen. Laura Fine — accuses Biss of making “empty promises,” including voting to cut Medicaid despite promising to protect healthcare, running a super PAC and declaring his candidacy for Congress shortly after taking office as mayor despite pledging to serve a full term.

“Daniel Biss: always running for something, willing to say anything to get elected,” the ad concludes.

The ad closely mirrors messaging from Fine, who is the moderate, pro-Israel candidate in the race. To this point, Elect Chicago Women has only been running positive ads boosting Fine, as well as another moderate candidate in another open district.

The other top contender in the 9th District primary, alongside Biss and Fine, is far-left anti-Israel activist Kat Abughazaleh, who has taken an even more hostile view towards the Jewish state than Biss. While Biss supports the Block the Bombs Act and efforts to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood, Abughazaleh has accused Israel of genocide.

Frank Calabrese, a Chicago-area political strategist, told Jewish Insider that the ad campaign runs the risk of pushing progressive voters away from Biss and towards Abughazaleh, rather than Fine — a concern that one activist in the local Jewish community expressed to JI as well earlier this year.

That dynamic occurred in this month’s special election primary in New Jersey, where spending by the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project attacking former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) pushed voters toward his further-left challenger Analilia Mejia, an outspoken critic of Israel.

Meanwhile, Biss is also facing online attacks from the far left for accepting donations from J Street supporters.

Jason Friedman, a prominent real estate developer and longtime leader in the Jewish United Fund, Chicago’s Jewish federation, is making waves in a crowded primary for Congress in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, long represented by retiring Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).

Friedman is facing off against candidates including Davis’ preferred successor, state Rep. LaShawn Ford; Kina Collins, a Justice Democrats-backed third-time candidate with an anti-Israel record; attorney Reed Showalter, also running on an anti-Israel platform; and Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who previously ran for the seat as a strong supporter of Israel.

Friedman, who has been the strongest fundraiser in the field, is also running as a stalwart ally of the Jewish community. But AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, is backing Conyears-Ervin’s campaign, airing a blitz of positive television ads this week promoting her candidacy. 

In a statement seemingly responding to the UDP ads, Friedman said that he “joined this race to fight and deliver results for everyone. The people of the 7th District deserve a representative with integrity, not career politicians with ethical baggage who sell out their constituents to the highest bidder.”

Conyears-Ervin has faced several scandals in recent years, and paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines for ethics violations including misuse of city resources.

Friedman added that he “won’t be bullied and I won’t back down from doing what’s right — not now, not ever.”

Friedman told Jewish Insider in an interview last week he has “dedicated … my philanthropic life, to our Jewish community here in the city of Chicago. I’m really, really proud of it,” having served on the JUF board for years and at one point as head of government affairs.

He said that his Jewish faith has instilled the values of tzedakah and tikkun olam, as well as empathy and compassion, which have inspired him to be a good servant and steward of the community. 

“It’s repairing the whole world, and that means being there for every community, not just the Jewish community … and fighting for them,” Friedman said. “That’s something that really guides me.”

He said the U.S.-Israel relationship is “very important to me” and that Israel “is a very important part of my Jewish identity” and “something that I will be engaged on” if elected. He has visited Israel at least a dozen times, including leading five JUF missions, and his son was bar mitzvahed in the Jewish state.

Asked how he would approach Israel policy as a member of Congress, Friedman said the JUF is a “big tent, as it relates to our Jewish community,” both in terms of politics and religious observance. He said that his involvement in JUF “forced me to be in a situation where I was consensus-building and using collaboration,” an approach he said would carry through to his work as a congressman, including in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Friedman described himself as a “firm believer” in aid to Israel which has “proven incredible benefits over the years,” and that he is a “big believer and supporter” of the memorandum of understanding on military aid between the U.S. and Israel.

“For those that want to talk about ‘conditions’ — there already are conditions, the Leahy Law, and the State Department places conditions on all foreign aid. That already exists,” Friedman continued. “To the extent the State Department reviews that every single year. That’s something I support. You know, Israel should not be uniquely targeted or positioned [compared to] any other country that gets foreign aid.”

He said he would “exercise my oversight” as a member of Congress to ensure Israeli compliance “like every country that receives foreign aid should be in compliance.” Asked whether he believes the war in Gaza has included breaches of that compliance, Friedman said he wasn’t prepared to judge without access to State Department assessments of the war.

Asked about his reflections from leading JUF missions to Israel, Friedman said that he sees a trip as a success as when “the left-wing guys come back more right wing, [and] the right-wing people come back more left wing,” explaining that his goal is “to really try to expose people to many different ideas and thoughts,” to challenge their “preconceived notions of how things are supposed to be.”

“When they get there, they realize the complexity of what they see. This is not a black and white issue. It’s multi-layered,” Friedman said. “It’s multi-layered on the Israeli side. It’s multi-layered as it relates to the Israeli Arabs. It’s multi-layered as it relates to Israelis and Palestinians. It’s multi-layered as it relates to the regional actors in the region. It’s multi-layered as it relates to the religious complexity.”

When asked about accusations of genocide levied against Israel, Friedman said, “Here’s what my Jewish faith tells me: when I’m on the stump, this is what I say … innocent people shouldn’t be killed, they shouldn’t be beheaded, they shouldn’t be raped, they shouldn’t be taken hostage, and women and children shouldn’t starve.”

“The way you conduct the war matters, and Israel has a right of self-defense. I will always defend that, but this was a really tough thing for everyone involved, and there’s a lot of lessons to be learned,” he continued.

He also emphasized that the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the ensuing war have been “really, really challenging” for the global Jewish community and for Israel, from the attacks themselves, the antisemitism they unleashed and the war for which Israel seemed ill-prepared.

Friedman also said that Israel “has to move on” from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “take itself seriously as a vibrant democracy.” He said that what the next government entails is up to Israeli voters, but that he has “no confidence” in Netanyahu or President Donald Trump to push toward peace.

Friedman said the U.S. should “stay consistently engaged in the region” to push the parties to “take risks for peace” in pursuit of a two-state solution. He acknowledged that both sides see such a deal as “very far-fetched” or even “pollyanish … but it doesn’t mean we still can’t be optimistic,” emphasizing the need to maintain hope and engage, alongside regional partners.

He said that Iran can “never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons” and that the collapse of Iran’s regional proxies provided a “once in a long time opportunity” for the U.S. to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities last summer. But, he added, “time will tell about whether or not that was the right decision or not. I had concerns over it.”

He said his biggest current concern is finding ways to help support the Iranian people looking for freedom from the regime. As the administration continues to mull strikes, Friedman said military action “should be a last resort” and that the U.S. would have to “be very thoughtful and careful that doesn’t backfire.”

He said he also wants to see greater public support for protesting Iranians, noting, “it’s not lost on me that I haven’t seen a single campus protest in support of the Iranian people.”

As the father of a current junior at Barnard College in Manhattan, Friedman had direct personal exposure to some of the most vitriolic anti-Israel protests that roiled campuses nationwide.

As the protests accelerated, he said his daughter, a freshman at the time, called him and said that she was afraid on campus, and asked him to come pick her up.

“What I saw was shocking. And I was disheartened, not just as a father, but as a Jew, and [to] see that campus metastasize into what that became was heartbreaking,” Friedman said. “I saw members of Congress within my own party whipping up that encampment into a frenzy. I saw the [House] speaker come out on Low Steps and throw gasoline on a fire.”

“What gave me hope is I looked over at the Kraft Hillel Center and I saw people like [Reps.] Dan Goldman and Josh Gottheimer and Ritchie Torres, who were there for our community, who were trying to say, ‘What better place to have constructive dialogue and open dialogue than a university?’” he continued.

He said that his daughter’s courage in returning to campus helped inspire him to run for Congress.

He added that, while Barnard “really, really struggled, and it infuriated me many, many times,” the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on campus antisemitism by cutting science research funding were “taking a howitzer to a knife fight” — particularly when more of the antisemitism issues emerged from humanities programs.

Democrats, he said, “could have done more and should have done more” to call out the antisemitism that was proliferating on campuses at the time, condemning those who created an unsafe environment for Jewish students, attacked them and vandalized campuses.

Friedman said he has also faced antisemitism in his congressional campaign. “It’s not lost on me that much of the vitriol I see in online comments to us or being publicly protested at places I show up is because I’m Jewish, and it’s very disheartening, and it’s tough to see,” he said.

Those attacks, he emphasized, have been based on “a perceived notion of who they think I am,” rather than his actual policies or platform, and that they have been difficult for him as a candidate and his staff.

“It’s a real challenge out there running as a Jewish candidate right now,” he said, while also emphasizing that these issues are not front-and-center or the ones he’s focusing on in conversations with most voters in the district. “I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

Asked about remedies the federal government can offer to address surging antisemitism, Friedman noted that, from his time at JUF, he has seen the importance of the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program to protect Jewish community organizations, including the Jewish day schools his children attended. 

And he expressed support for the long-stalled Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would codify the Department of Education’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.

Friedman began his career with an ambition to work in politics, starting as a 13-year-old canvasser for then-Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL), attending the Democratic National Convention in 1992 at age 18 and working for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). He dreamed of working for Al Gore in the White House, but ended up working for Rahm Emanuel and ultimately moving back to Chicago and transitioning out of politics.

He said he sees Davis’ retirement from Congress after nearly 30 years as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to return to politics. “I could either sit on the couch and keep complaining, or I could stand up and do something.”

Friedman described the district as one of contrasts — including both thriving areas of downtown Chicago and under-invested areas of the city and its suburbs. He said his priorities include public safety, quality education, affordability and pushing back against the Trump administration and its immigration enforcement activities in particular.

A white businessman, Friedman cuts an non-traditional profile for the district, which has historically been majority-Black and represented by Black leaders, though the district’s demographics have shifted in recent years with new development downtown. 

Friedman argues that “my story is the 7th Congressional District story.”

His great-grandfather was a peddler on Maxwell Street, a hub for Jewish immigrants, his grandfather owned a hot dog stand and Friedman and his father have helped develop the district’s up-and-coming River North neighborhood.

He said that regardless of community, people in the district are looking for a candidate to stand up to the administration, are tired of career politicians and want to see real results, which he has delivered in his real estate business. He said that his family’s real estate business prides itself on its accessibility and that he would be similarly accessible to his potential constituents. 

“If they’ve got a problem, pick up the phone, give me a call.”

A pair of well-financed groups, whose origin is currently unknown, is set to begin running ads boosting moderate pro-Israel candidates in a series of open House seats in Chicago, each of whom is facing off against vocal anti-Israel opponents.

The ads — being run by newly formed super PACs Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now — boost state Sen. Laura Fine, running in the 9th Congressional District, former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL), running in the 8th District and Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, running in the 2nd District.

The ad buys for the two groups add up to millions of dollars across the three races.

Given that the groups were just launched, FEC filing policies will not require them to disclose their donors until close to Election Day. But the ads, which do not focus on Israel policy, are widely rumored to be connected to the United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-affiliated super PAC.

UDP did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and AIPAC has not made formal endorsements in any of the races in question. 

Fine has established herself as a supporter of Israel during her campaign, and Bean had a pro-Israel record in office. Miller’s public record on the issue is less established.

A spokesperson for Evanston, Ill. Mayor Daniel Biss, running in the 9th, declared that ads were being run by “a right-wing dark money super PAC” and that Fine “is being propped up by Trump supporters, AIPAC donors, and right-wing super PACs.”

Biss has called for a ban on offensive weapons transfers to Israel and far-left influencer Kat Abughazaleh, another leading candidate in the  race, has taken even stronger anti-Israel positions.

State Sen. Robert Peters, a 2nd District candidate who also strongly condemned Israel during the war in Gaza, posted a video earlier this week accusing “AIPAC and Trump donors” of “pouring cash” into Miller’s campaign, warning that “AIPAC and Trump allies” are “trying to buy this seat.”

One of Bean’s leading challengers in the 8th is Junaid Ahmed, who supports an arms embargo and an end to all military aid to Israel.

In several progressive-minded districts across the country, UDP has utilized similar pop-up groups and not disclosed its involvement until after Election Day.

The pro-Fine ad praises her record in office on issues like health insurance and gun control, as well as points to her support for a ban on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago. It calls her “the fighter we need to stop Donald Trump.”

ICE has become a major issue in the race, with both Biss and Abughazaleh attending anti-ICE demonstrations. Abughazaleh is under indictment for allegedly conspiring to injure ICE officers during a protest.

The pro-Bean ad highlights her support for the Affordable Care Act in her previous service in Congress, even though she “knew it might cost her an election,” and includes a photo of her with former President Barack Obama. It frames her new run for Congress as a continued effort to protect healthcare access from GOP attacks.

The pro-Miller ad highlights her work with Planned Parenthood and her work to protect pregnant mothers and combat domestic violence on the Cook County Commission. It also frames her as a fighter against President Donald Trump.

All three moderates — Fine, Miller and Bean — solidified their places as leading contenders in their respective races this week by leading in fundraising in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Fine also released an internal poll this week showing herself and Biss  tied for the lead in her race, with Abughazaleh in third and other candidates trailing.

Bean is seen as the front-runner in her race, given her established record. Miller, in spite of her strong fundraising, could face headwinds running against former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), who has strong local and institutional support but struggled to raise money last quarter.

Fundraising reports for the fourth quarter of 2025, released on Sunday, brought the state of the race in several hotly contested Chicago-area Democratic congressional primaries into focus, with pro-Israel candidates putting up strong showings in several seats.

In the 9th District, state Sen. Laura Fine led the field with $1.2 million raised and ended the quarter with a narrow cash-on-hand lead, at $1.4 million in the bank. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, an Israel critic, raised $659,000 and had $1.37 million on hand at the end of the quarter, and far-left influencer Kat Abugazaleh raised $1.1 million, but spent $1.4 million, leaving her with $811,000 in her war chest.

With her substantial fundraising, Fine has been the only candidate in the district to air advertisements on network television, while other candidates are advertising on cable.

Though publicly released polling has shown Biss and Abugazaleh at the top of the field and Fine trailing, Chicago political strategist Frank Calabrese emphasized to Jewish Insider that — with the large number of candidates in the race and Fine’s fundraising and momentum — she remains a leading contender.

On the other hand, he said that Biss, who previously ran for governor, and Abugazaleh, with her substantial online presence, are likely the most recognizable candidates, giving them a built-in advantage in a crowded field.  

Calabrese also stressed that the fundraising data shows Abugazaleh is a serious and competitive candidate — despite some having written her off earlier in the race — and she is likely to pick up significant support among younger and more transient voters.

Calabrese predicted that an ad blitz against Biss — which the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project is rumored to be considering — could ultimately redound to Abughazaleh’s benefit, rather than sending Biss voters toward Fine’s campaign.

UDP has said it has not yet made any decisions about the race.

One Jewish community activist in the district expressed concerns to JI in recent weeks about such a scenario, arguing that AIPAC and other Jewish community affiliated groups should be focused on stopping Abughazaleh above all else, and that they should agree to get behind either Biss or Fine, depending on which candidate polling shows has the best chance of beating Abughazaleh.

But others in the pro-Israel community have raised significant concerns about Biss’ own stance on Israel policy, which includes support for an offensive weapons ban on Israel.

Calabrese said that Phil Andrew, a former FBI hostage negotiator who closed the quarter with almost $1 million on hand — including $400,000 in self-funding — could be a wild-card candidate.

Calabrese explained that Bruce Leon, a prominent member of the local Orthodox Jewish community community who recently left the race, had thrown his support behind Andrew, following a spat with Fine and AIPAC, potentially pushing the Orthodox Jewish community toward Andrew and away from Fine.

In the 8th Congressional District, former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) solidified her spot as  front-runner by raising $772,000, ending the quarter with more than $1 million on hand, followed by anti-Israel challenger Junaid Ahmed, who raised $360,000 and ended the quarter with $836,000 on hand.

Businessman Neil Khot finished the quarter with $573,000 on hand, having provided $765,000 to his own campaign during the cycle, which has made him the only candidate in that race to run network television ads. But he received just $58,000 in the last quarter in donations.

Others, including Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and Hanover Park Trustee Yasmeen Bankole, an Israel critic, trailed further behind, with $233,000 and $170,000 on hand, respectively, though Calabrese emphasized that Morrison enjoys substantial support from local officials. Veteran Dan Tully ended the quarter with $412,00 on hand, but may see a boost from outside spending by pro-veteran groups.

Calabrese said that Bean, given her defined public image and name recognition, is the front-runner, but noted that Ahmed has been building a strong base of support in the Muslim community. He said Bean, as a conventional moderate Democrat, also stands out among a series of other candidates trying to define themselves as more liberal or progressive, and will likely benefit from those other candidates dividing the field.

“Everyone agrees the favorite is Melissa Bean, and if someone tells you otherwise, they’re lying to you,” Calabrese said.

In the 7th Congressional District, Jason Friedman, a real estate developer and leader in the local Jewish community, cemented his place as a leading candidate, ending the quarter with $1.3 million on hand and $1.8 million raised over the course of the race, including $296,000 in the quarter.

Calabrese said that Friedman “has a very decent shot at winning” if he’s able to lock down the upper-income downtown area, while other candidates compete for votes in the district’s Black community. Friedman also has substantial support from the Jewish community, Calabrese added.

He said that Friedman’s chances have been underestimated by some in the area who have failed to recognize the demographic changes in the once Black-dominated district over time, but also said the race could be a “jump ball” among any of several candidates in the running.

Friedman’s war chest gives him a substantial lead over the rest of the field, but his fourth quarter fundraising was comparable to that of Dr. Thomas Fisher, an emergency medicine doctor, who raised $243,000 and finished with $455,000 on hand.

State Rep. LaShawn Ford, the handpicked successor of retiring Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), raised $145,000 and closed the quarter with $308,000 on hand, and Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin raised $112,000 and finished with $217,000 on hand. Anthony Driver, a former leader of the Chicago police oversight board and a local union leader, raised just $73,000 in the quarter, but is likely to receive significant outside backing from union groups, Calabrese said.

Anti-Israel progressive Kina Collins, making her third run for the seat, still had not filed her quarterly report as of Monday evening, leaving her status somewhat unclear.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller dominated the field in fundraising, raising $1.1 million and closing the quarter with nearly $1 million on hand, followed by anti-Israel state Sen. Robert Peters, who raised $210,000 and closed the quarter with $263,000 on hand. Peters has raised $900,000 over the course of the race, but burned through the majority of his reserves and outspent what he raised in the last quarter.

Calabrese said he was “extremely surprised” by the poor fundraising performance of former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), who raised $85,000 in the fourth quarter and finished the quarter with just $90,000 on hand, despite being a local political celebrity and enjoying substantial institutional support. 

Nevertheless, internal polling by other campaigns has shown Jackson in the lead with around 25% support, and Calabrese argued that it’s still his race to lose. With his local reputation and endorsements, he may not need to spend as much to get his message out, Calabrese noted.

“Donna Miller has the money advantage. But is it enough? I don’t think so, but I could be wrong,” Calabrese said.

The progressive Peters is a poor fit for the district, Calabrese argued. “He’s trying to run as a university, campus-centric progressive, and it’s just not the district,” he said. “It’s a very work-a-day district.”

The women’s basketball team at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Chicago was practicing earlier this month ahead of its annual Senior Night when an announcement came over the intercom, presenting a special guest. That’s where the video starts — one of those designed-to-go-viral tearjerkers showing a child reuniting with their parent who is in the military.

“He is joining us after leaving the military service in Europe,” the announcer says. Team members start to look around, smiling but confused, when they see that the door to the gym is open.  

“We are grateful for his dedication, especially his daughter Hannah,” the announcer continues. That’s when one athlete, in a long-sleeve practice jersey and a ponytail, begins to cry and run toward the door. “Thank you for your service and sacrifice, and welcome home, U.S. Army Chaplain Rabbi Aaron Melman.” Everyone cheers. Throwing her arms around her father, Hannah sobs.

Melman, a Conservative rabbi who since 2021 has served as a chaplain in the Illinois Army National Guard, had just returned from a U.S. Army base in Western Poland. He submitted his request for leave back in September but didn’t tell his daughter, who was devastated most of all to learn his deployment conflicted with the pinnacle of her high school basketball career. (She was more upset that he would miss that game than her graduation.) When she hugged him, Melman took off his cap and revealed a light brown yarmulke that matched his fatigues.

“We made it happen,” Melman tells his daughter in the video, smiling. Days later, RZJHS won at Senior Night. Hannah scored four points.

For more than two decades after he graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2002, Melman was a congregational rabbi in the northern suburbs of Chicago. He had thought, early in his career, about joining the military — his father served in the U.S. Army Reserves — but decided against enlisting, recognizing that serving in active duty would be challenging as he raised two young children. 

But later, when his kids were older, the itch to serve returned. Melman was commissioned as an officer in the Illinois Army National Guard, a responsibility that typically required two days of service a month and two weeks each year, until he was sent to Poland earlier this year. That assignment made him one of several Jewish chaplains serving on the front lines of Europe, providing religious support and counseling to American soldiers — most of whom are not Jewish — who are stationed in Germany, Poland and other allied nations largely as a bulwark against Russia. 

Many Jewish chaplains serve in the military only part-time. They fit the training into already-busy schedules leading congregations and providing pastoral care to people in their own communities. 

Several military rabbis told JI that they view their mission as more than counseling the soldiers in their care and helping them deal with the hardships of military service. They explained that it’s also about reminding American Jews — many of whom have parents or grandparents who fought in World War II, Korea or Vietnam — about the value of service. During World War II, the military printed pocket-sized Hebrew bibles for Jewish soldiers. Today, some Jews don’t know anyone serving in the military. 

“Most Jews in America are not connected in any way, shape or form to the United States Armed Forces. The common reaction many of us get, when we go into the armed forces here in the States is, ‘Oh, you don’t want to go into the IDF?’ or, ‘Why didn’t you go into the IDF?’ And for the record, I happen to be a very strong Zionist,” Melman told Jewish Insider in an interview last week. “One of the things for me that I’ve really grown to appreciate is trying to connect the younger generation of American Jews into joining or thinking about joining the military and how important it is.”

Rabbi Aaron Gaber spent nine months at Grafenwoehr, a major American base in Germany, starting last summer. As a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, his unit’s mission was to train Ukrainian soldiers, and Gaber was tasked with training Ukrainian chaplains. He took them to the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, a museum located inside the German courtroom where Nazi leaders were tried for their crimes after World War II. 

“That created a whole conversation about moral integrity and personal courage. How do you say to your commander, ‘Don’t commit atrocities’? Or how do you keep your soldiers who are angry at what’s happening and want to do things that are unethical or immoral from doing that?” Gaber told JI. “That elicited a whole conversation on a theological level about light versus darkness, good versus evil, but also then on a practical level: How do you advise your commander in a way that gives him or her the option not to do something that shouldn’t be done?”

Most of Gaber’s job, when dealing either with Ukrainian troops or American, involved assisting people who were not Jewish. 

“As a rabbi, I got to make sure every week there was a Protestant worship service happening,” said Gaber, who returned from Germany in June (and specified that he did not lead those services).

Last year, he volunteered to spend the High Holidays in Poland and Lithuania. He drove between several different bases to make sure Jewish soldiers had access to religious services, food and learning opportunities tied to the holidays. 

“I take the idea of ohr l’goyim, or bringing light to the world, I was able to bring light to the world. I was able to help Jewish soldiers celebrate their faith. If I met 10 Jewish soldiers through the entire two weeks, that was a lot. So it was individual work,” Gaber said. “In one case, I had one soldier travel, I think, three hours each way to be able to spend an hour with me. He couldn’t go by himself, so he had a noncommissioned officer, one of his squad leaders, go with him. That was the length that the military can and does go to make sure soldiers can access their faith.” 

Ohr l’goyim is a phrase that comes up often for Jewish military chaplains. For Rabbi Laurence Bazer, a retired U.S. Army colonel who is now a vice president at the JCC Association and the Jewish Welfare Board’s Jewish Chaplains Council, those words — from the Book of Isaiah — commanded him to be a light unto the nations. “And that’s not just to our own fellow Jews, but to the rest of the community,” Bazer told JI. 

A friend of his from the North Dakota National Guard once took Bazer, who served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, to visit North Dakota’s state partner in Ghana. He sat down with a group of Ghanaian soldiers and told them to ask him anything they might want to know about Judaism. 

“Now, these are all Catholic, Protestant and Muslim chaplains from the Ghanaian army,” Bazer recalled. “I said, ‘You could ask me, like, why Jews don’t believe in the New Testament, or Jesus, whatever.’ That’s part of the role that I love doing, of being, again, ohr l’goyim, a light unto the nations, to be able to share the positive, affirming side of Judaism so that they felt enriched. It was all in true fellowship of, we’re all servants of the Divine.” 

Bazer spent his final years in the military in Washington, working full time in an active duty role at the National Guard’s headquarters. He oversaw the religious response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 racial-justice protests and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

“I was advising commanders up to four stars at a senior level about what’s going on religiously, which really meant the moral welfare of their troops,” said Bazer, who had served in New York during the 9/11 attacks and later led the chaplaincy response to the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. “That emotional level affects readiness, and chaplains are the key to help that readiness.” 

In 2023, Bazer was asked to go to Europe to lead Passover services and programming for Jewish troops. He led Passover Seders in Germany and Poland, and then drove between Lithuania and Latvia, delivering matzah and visiting with Jewish soldiers. 

The Seder at Grafenwoehr took place on a large lawn on the base. After he spoke about opening the door for the prophet Elijah, a symbolic act tied to hope that the Messiah will come, a Christian chaplain on base who had attended the Seder pulled Bazer aside. He pointed to a tower that stood next to the lawn.

“He says, ‘You know, Hitler used to go up there and watch,’” Bazer said. The base — now so central to America’s operations in Europe — was once used by the Nazis. “To think that back then he used to watch the Nazis do formation, and now, in 2023 we’re holding a Passover Seder on the same base in the shadow of that tower is an incredible experience.”

A new lawsuit filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago branch last week alleges that Northwestern University violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by adopting time, place and manner restrictions on student protest and requiring students to watch an antisemitism training video.

The plaintiffs include Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine, a doctoral student who “is not Arab, Jewish, or Muslim, but publicly associates with these students” and a doctoral candidate of Syrian and Palestinian descent. 

Title VI prohibits institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating based on a person’s race, color and national origin — understood to include both Arabs and Jews — though the lawsuit claims that “Antizionist Jews are also a cognizable ethnic group” under the statute. The suit also accuses the Chicago-area school of violating Title VI by discriminating against those who “associate with” Jewish and Arab students “who oppose or criticize Zionism.”

The suit, filed in federal court in Illinois, claims Northwestern violated students’ rights by requiring them to agree to the school’s code of conduct, which now incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, as well as mandatory bias training that includes a video on antisemitism created in collaboration with the Jewish United Fund, the city’s Jewish federation. 

The training is required to be completed by Monday, or students will be prohibited from registering for classes for the winter term.

The plaintiffs claim that the mandate to watch the JUF video, which includes information on the ties between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, has “caused Arab individuals and those who support them injury in the form of emotional distress.” The two doctoral students, who are considered student employees of the university, also claim the training, which is required for their employment, violates the Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act.

A spokesperson for Northwestern declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. The university responded to the allegation in court filings that students must attest that they “have reviewed and agreed to abide by” the student code of conduct but “notably, the attestation does not require students to agree or enforce the substance or viewpoints expressed in the training. It merely confirms that they will comply with the university’s uniformly applicable policies — just as all students must typically do to maintain good standing.”

The suit further alleges that Northwestern implemented an “Intimidation Policy” in response to the disruptive anti-Israel encampment that overtook the university’s campus in May 2024 by now requiring “a reservation, advance notice, and a permit from the University’s administration” in order to table on university property and a permit to use devices that amplify sound, as well as limiting flyers posted outdoors to university bulletin boards. 

Students participating in the encampment engaged in several instances of harassment and intimidation of Jewish students, which were detailed by the House Committee on Education and Workforce when it called then-President Michael Schill to appear before the committee. Schill negotiated with the encampment and acceded to several of the student leaders’ demands, including allowing students to weigh in on university investments, which earned the praise of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and drew condemnation from Jewish leaders.

The requested remedies of the suit include finding Northwestern’s use of the IHRA definition, which labels some criticism of Israel as antisemitic, to be illegal and prohibiting the school from using it and for emotional distress damages for the plaintiffs. 

With numerous incumbent House members retiring or seeking higher office, the 2026 election will bring four open seats to the deep blue Chicago area — a level of turnover unprecedented in recent history — each of which is being hotly contested by a series of diverse candidates. And in each of the districts — the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th — at least one viable candidate is staking out positions strongly critical of Israel.

Illinois’ Second District (of Rep. Robin Kelly, who is running for Senate):

The sizable Second District stretches from the south side of Chicago and runs nearly three hours south along the border with Indiana. It includes liberal, highly educated areas around the University of Chicago and Hyde Park, where anti-Israel state Sen. Robert Peters is likely to pull most of his support.

Peters, who converted to Judaism, has been critical of Israel’s operations in Gaza and joined at least one anti-Israel protest affiliated with the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, calling in mid-November 2023 for a ceasefire.

“I watched the unprecedented bombing campaign rain down on a densely populated community in Gaza — one that had no easy means to escape — and I saw that it was being done in our name, as Jews and as Americans,” Peters wrote in an op-ed. “I thought of the story of my own biological father’s family. I knew that the massive humanitarian crisis that is still unfolding in Gaza will not make the world safer for Jews, whether in Israel or anywhere.”

More recently, he condemned the “forced famine of millions of people in Gaza” and said on X, “No wonder the Trump administration supports the destruction of Gaza, Trump and his allies want to do the same thing to Black people here.”

Peters was adopted as a child, and discovered in 2022 that his biological father was Jewish; he went on to join a congregation and begin the process of formally converting. The state senator has the support of national anti-Israel activists.

“Robert is the only Jewish candidate in the race for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District, and this issue is deeply personal for him. Robert believes the U.S. must lead the effort to broker a diplomatic resolution that brings home the hostages, ends the war, and that ultimately leads to a solution where both the Israeli and Palestinian people can enjoy lasting security and self-determination,” a Peters campaign spokesperson told JI.

Peters, according to Frank Calabrese, a Chicago political analyst, has established himself as the favorite of the progressive class, raised substantial amounts of money and picked up an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). But Calabrese said he will struggle among the more moderate Black voters that live in the Chicago suburbs.

Calabrese said he sees former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. as the prohibitive favorite to win the seat, describing Jackson as someone with “universal name ID,” hailing from a family that is “as close to royalty as you get. It’s comparable locally to the Kennedy family, in the south side of Chicago.”

As a member of Congress from 1995 until 2012, Jackson visited Israel on trips organized by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation and the Jewish United Fund — taking criticism from anti-Israel activists. He was the keynote speaker for a pro-Israel event in Chicago in 2009, saying at the time, “I am honored to stand in solidarity with you today as we stand in support of Israel.”

Jackson’s brother, Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, including supporting a call for the U.S. to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state and serving as an original cosponsor of the “Block the Bombs Act,” which critics describe as an effective permanent arms embargo on Israel for many critical weapons systems.

Jackson resigned from office under investigation for misuse of campaign funds. He later pleaded guilty to fraud and served 30 months in prison. Calabrese said he thinks voters will largely be forgiving of that history. 

He said that it would be “mind-blowing” for Jackson to rack up less than 25% of the vote, which might not be enough to win if there were a small number of other competitors, “but when you put seven, eight, nine people in the race on the ballot — it’s going to be Jesse Jackson.”

Other candidates Calabrese predicted will be most competitive include Yumeka Brown, a member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, both of whom he suggested could siphon some of the suburban Chicago vote.

Illinois’ Seventh District (of retiring Rep. Danny Davis):

Justice Democrats-affiliated Kina Collins is expected to make a third bid for the 7th District seat, after two primary challenges to retiring Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). She has been opposed in past races by the AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project super PAC.

Collins has a long record of taking anti-Israel stances, having described the war in Gaza as a genocide just nine days after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, called for conditions on U.S. aid to Israel and repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes.

She has also suggested Israeli training is the source of American police brutality against Black Americans.

Collins finished third in the 2024 primary, with 19% of the vote. Calabrese said her core base lies with white progressive voters.

Davis’ handpicked replacement is state Rep. LaShawn Ford. But due to Ford’s poor performance during his 2019 mayoral campaign — he received just 1% of the vote — Calabrese said it’s “hard to call him a [clear] frontrunner,” even with Davis’ backing. 

Calabrese described the field in general as “chaotic” and said none of the candidates have yet to pull away from the pack.

Ford joined a statement on Oct. 11, 2023, condemning violence against both Israelis and Palestinians.

“Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, and thousands injured,” the statement read. “We will not be able to achieve peace when millions of Palestinians are denied human rights.”

Facing criticism that the initial statement had suggested a moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas, Ford later offered his unequivocal condemnation of the “cowardly Hamas terrorists,” according to local media reports.

Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city treasurer, is mounting her second bid for the seat, after challenging Davis in the 2024 primary, lagging well behind the congressman with just 21% of the vote. She ran on a strongly pro-Israel platform in 2024 and claimed Collins was antisemitic for accusing Israel of genocide.

Jason Friedman, a businessman who entered the race as a primary challenger to Davis, has a base in downtown Chicago and he may have a financial advantage, Calabrese said, but is an untraditional candidate for the majority-minority district, which has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker.

Friedman has been a member of the leadership of the Jewish United Fund and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and was a board member of the Jewish National Fund. He led at least one JUF trip to Israel for young business professionals, and was honored with JUF’s Young Leadership Award. He testified before the Chicago City Council in 2012, urging divestment from Iran’s energy sector

“Trump and the United States have a moral obligation to create an environment to end the war and this humanitarian crisis, bring the hostages home, and create a path towards a true two-State solution,” Friedman said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Netanyahu and his government have inexcusably put their own self-interests over the interests of Israel and the U.S.-Israeli relationship, and it must stop.” 

Others in the race include Richard Boykin, a former chief of staff to Davis, and Anthony Driver, a former leader of the Chicago police oversight board and the former state executive director of the Service Employees International Union, which is supporting his campaign.

Illinois’ Eighth District (seat of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Senate):

The suburban 8th District race is also up for grabs — a recent poll conducted by one of the candidates found over two-thirds of voters undecided — and features an ideologically diverse set of candidates, including at least two prominent antagonists of the Jewish state.

Yasmin Bankole, a Hanover Park trustee, is vowing to cosponsor the “Block the Bombs Act,” saying, “Our tax dollars are supporting an unjustifiable humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” She has accused the Trump administration of being complicit in potential ethnic cleansing.

“What’s happening in Gaza is immoral, unconscionable, and it is the responsibility of Congress to act,” Bankole said in a position statement on her campaign website.

Earlier this year, she shared a photo of an emaciated child in Gaza, later revealed to suffer from cerebral palsy, writing in the caption, “This heartbreaking and deeply alarming photo has stopped me in my tracks. We must not look away while this modern day tragedy rages on. We must continue to shine a light on ALL injustices. I call on the U.S., Israel, and those in the international community to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches and is safely distributed in Gaza.”

She also signed onto a Jan. 9, 2024, statement organized by JVP calling for a permanent ceasefire.

Bankole is a former staffer for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and has the senator’s backing in the race. Calabrese said she is “getting a lot of buzz” and has a similar profile and potential support base to Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), who represents a neighboring district.

Junaid Ahmed, a local small business owner, is making a second run for the seat, after attempting to challenge incumbent Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) in 2024, winning just 30% of the primary vote. Ahmed is aiming to capture the progressive lane, according to Calabrese.

On his campaign website, Ahmed lists “Peace in Gaza and Palestinian self-determination” as a top campaign priority and describes the war in Gaza as a genocide.

On the site, he called for a “comprehensive arms embargo and the ending of all military aid to Israel, demonstrating the U.S. stands with our fellow democracies in enforcing international law” and for the U.S. to realize “the self determination of the Palestinian people and an end to the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.”

Ahmed also said he supports “a multilateral effort [to] ensure equal protections for Palestinians under international law” and “[c]omprehensive strategies to tackle Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian discrimination here at home and across the globe.”

He said in September that “the United States has a moral duty to stop Israel from committing more [war] crimes” and that Israel’s actions “are hurting America’s standing in the world.” 

“As humans, we have the moral obligation to stand up and speak out against these heinous and genocidal acts,” he said in August.

Ahmed’s advocacy against the U.S.-Israel relationship dates back well before the war in Gaza. In 2021, he said, “Your tax dollars are going towards oppressing the Palestinian people,” condemning government funding packages that included aid for Israel.

In 2022, he commemorated the “Nakba” — a term that translates to “catastrophe” and refers to the founding of Israel and exodus of Palestinians — describing it as a “a horrific tragedy that led to the ethnic cleansing of 800,000+ Palestinians from nearly 530 villages at the hands of settlers who would later found Israel in 1948.”

The leading moderate in the race is former Rep. Melissa Bean, who served in the House from 2005 to 2011. The district is significantly different than it was when Bean first ran, Calabrese noted, and she has been less active in local Democratic politics since she retired, meaning she’ll have to re-introduce herself to many voters. 

Bean, in a 2016 story, was described as close with Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) when he was a pro-Israel advocate before his time in office, and she has spoken out in support of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

In addition to Bean, Bankole and Ahmed, other candidates include Kevin Morrison, a Cook County commissioner, businessman Neil Khot and Dan Tully, a former JAG officer who has donated a significant sum to his own campaign and could be a strong fundraiser.

In the case of Morrison, Calabrese said the Cook County Commission, where he serves, has traditionally served as a launching pad for officeholders including Johnson and Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL) — but the district is split between Cook County and DuPage County, where Morrison’s support is weaker.

Calabrese said that Khot could rally support from the sizable local Indian-American community, and that he has been a strong fundraiser, supplemented by his own personal funds.

Illinois’ Ninth District (seat of retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky):

The Ninth District, which has one the largest Jewish constituencies in the state, has been the most-watched of the open Chicagoland seats, with prominent candidates including state Sen. Laura Fine, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and influencer and anti-Israel activist Kat Abugazaleh.

The race in the “very liberal district” which includes “the most liberal parts of Chicago” is turning into a sprint to the left, Calabrese said. The district also includes a large Middle Eastern population unfriendly to Israel, in addition to a sizable Orthodox Jewish community.

Fine represents the wealthier areas of the district and the more mainstream side of the Democratic Party. In an interview with Jewish Insider in May, Fine, who is Jewish, touted her pro-Israel platform and described herself as a staunch defender of the Jewish state who has long been outspoken against rising antisemitism fueled by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.

The 58-year-old state lawmaker, who served in the state House before rising to the state Senate in 2019, is a co-chair of the legislative Jewish Caucus and calls herself a “proud Jewish woman,” noting that her bat mitzvah was held in Israel. “I have been on the front lines of the fight against antisemitism,” she told JI.

Calabrese said he believes Abugazaleh, despite widespread skepticism over her lack of political experience and short period of residence in the district, stands a serious chance of winning because “this [is a] very transient part of [the Chicago area]. It’s a lot of renters, it’s a lot of single people, it’s a lot of young people and they’re very activist. It’s people like Kat. … She’s raising money, she’s getting volunteers and she represents a good part of what the district’s like.”

Biss has also leaned into criticizing Israel on the campaign trail, calling for the U.S. to stop all offensive weapons shipments to Israel and unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. A campaign spokesperson said he would support the “Block the Bombs Act.”.

“Years of experience have taught us that stern words from allies mean nothing to Netanyahu,” Biss said in a recent Substack post.

He added that recognizing a Palestinian state “would help lay the groundwork for a free and democratic Palestine, with a government that has no place for and provides no material support to Hamas or any other terrorist organization.”

He also wrote that, while he has deep familial connections to the state of Israel — his mother grew up in Israel, he spent significant time there and he had a cousin who served in the IDF after Oct. 7 — “other families have stories that paint a dramatically different picture. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was itself a violent trauma for Palestinians. And I have also spent time in the West Bank, decades ago, witnessing first-hand the cruelty of the occupation — and the way, already then, that it warped Israeli attitudes.”

Biss also criticized Israeli airstrikes on Iran and said the U.S. should “work to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon through diplomatic means, not reckless military strikes.”

Biss, as mayor of Evanston, represents the largest political entity in the district — a large potential pool of votes — is well known from a past run for governor and is politically well-suited to the district, Calabrese said.

“He’s liberal but not really leftist …. So he’s a really good compromise between what I consider establishment and activists,” Calabrese continued, though Biss has leaned more into an activist posture on the campaign trail, participating in heated protests in the area against ICE.

There are other candidates in the race, including Bushra Amiwala, an activist and member of the Skokie Board of Education and the first Gen Z woman elected to public office in the country and the youngest Muslim elected official as of when she was elected.

Amiwala also has a history of anti-Israel activism. She opposes all military aid to Israel, said the U.S. should “demand reparations” from Israel and urged senators to support legislation blocking certain arms transfers.

“To have so much of our taxpayer dollars funding a humanitarian crisis in Palestine is not OK. And I don’t think we need to spend any more money on this. We need to leverage the money we’ve already given Israel to force them to sit at the table and come to a ceasefire,” she told Chicago magazine.

She also accused Israel of deliberately starving Palestinians and said opponents unwilling to describe the war in Gaza as a genocide should drop out of the race.

“This is the new litmus test for Democrats and it doesn’t take a focus group or opinion poll to find the right answer,” Amiwala wrote in a fundraising email. “If you are so morally and ethically compromised on this issue, you are no better than a MAGA Republican and are undeserving of even calling yourself a Democrat.”

Amiwala also said that “we’ve seen AIPAC buy our elected officials,” referring to the group’s political spending, and suggested that U.S. aid to Israel is the reason Americans lack access to education and universal healthcare.

And she has condemned Israel’s “continuous illegal bombing of sovereign nations. Israel has caused countless bloodshed and ignored international law while bankrolled by the U.S. every step of the way.”

But Calabrese said he’s skeptical that anyone other than Abugazaleh, Biss and Fine stands a realistic chance of winning the seat.

United Airlines announced Thursday it plans to resume direct flights to Israel from Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles international airports for the first time since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. 

Flights from Chicago are set to commence Nov. 1 and will operate four times per week, and flights from Washington are scheduled to begin Nov. 2 and will operate three times per week, according to the airline. 

Currently no other airline offers direct flights to Israel from Chicago or Washington. United and Delta offer daily flights between Israel and the New York area. 

“The resumption of these flights underscores United’s longstanding commitment to Tel Aviv,” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said in a statement. 

United restarted its flights to Israel in February following a 16-month hiatus in operations to the Jewish state after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October 2023, with the exception of two brief periods in 2024. 

For more than a year, Israeli airline El Al was the only consistent option for direct travel to and from the U.S., leading to a shortage of flights to meet travelers’ demand and soaring ticket prices. The long pause led to much debate among lawmakers and high-profile figures over whether the airlines’ decisions were influenced by internal and external political pressure.

As he competes for Illinois’ open Senate seat, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) is hoping that the state’s sizable Jewish community, concentrated in the Chicago area, will help him chart a path to victory in the Democratic primary.

Analysts see the Jewish vote as potentially up for grabs in the election to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), which pits Krishnamoorthi against Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Krishnamoorthi, a suburban Chicago lawmaker seen as more moderate than his challengers in the race, says he’s best positioned to claim that lane.

“I think Jewish Americans are just like everyone else, first of all, and they care about the full range of issues that all voters care about,” Krishnamoorthi said, when asked by Jewish Insider in a recent interview why the Jewish community should back him.

“However, I do think that they have a desire for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” Krishnamoorthi continued, “and I don’t think there’s anybody else with the track record in this race that I possess, showing strong support for that relationship, but also knowing why that relationship needs to continue to be strong on a bipartisan basis, and we need to take this out of politics.”

On a series of key votes on Middle East and antisemitism issues since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel, Krishnamoorthi has sometimes voted against legislation supported by Jewish and pro-Israel groups, but his record on those issues has been stronger than Kelly’s. On several occasions when the two have voted differently, Krishnamoorthi has sided with positions supported by leading Jewish and pro-Israel groups. 

Krishnamoorthi was endorsed by AIPAC in his 2024 reelection race; Kelly was not.

The Illinois Senate hopeful took a mildly critical position, however, on the U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear program. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Cannot,” Krishnamoorthi said, while adding that the President Donald Trump “cannot take unilateral military action in Iran without congressional approval,” calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Several days later, Krishnamoorthi said in a letter to the president that conflicting reports about the strikes’ effectiveness “are deeply alarming and require further evaluation from the intelligence community,” and condemned the administration for reported plans to limit intelligence-sharing with Congress.

The Illinois congressman said in a CNBC interview the morning following Israel’s initial strikes on Iran that he “can understand why the Israelis would take action, especially when Iran is so intransigent at the bargaining table,” noting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s findings of Iranian malfeasance.

Krishnamoorthi went on to say that he is “100% in favor of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship” but also is “hoping we can de-escalate a little bit for a second, maybe give Iran a chance to come back to the negotiating table and make sure that we protect our U.S. troops and interests in the region.” He said he believed it was not too late for an agreement.

He characterized Iran as desperate for sanctions relief, adding that “there has to be a verifiable way that we know that their nuclear program is dismantled,” and that a deal should also address Iran’s other malign activities, such as its support for the Houthis.

Krishnamoorthi spoke to JI days after an antisemitic extremist attacked a hostage awareness march in Boulder, Colo., and after he joined 74 other Democrats — less than half of the caucus — in voting for a Republican-led resolution that condemned the attack while also praising Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Kelly voted against that resolution.

“I think there’s been a rise in antisemitism in this country … and I don’t think we have done enough to stem the rise. And I wanted to send a very clear message that this is intolerable,” Krishnamoorthi said, of his vote. “I also think that people need to understand that antisemitism is kind of the canary in the coal mine for a host of other ills that accompany it. If we don’t stamp this out with one voice, it’s not going to go away.”

Asked about the fact that the Boulder attacker, the Capital Jewish Museum shooter and the arsonist who attacked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home all cited the war in Gaza as the motivation for their actions, Krishnamoorthi said that leaders need to be mindful of the role their rhetoric can play in driving a nationwide surge of political violence.

“I think that what you say is important because it could potentially ignite violence. Politically violent rhetoric can then lead to violence,” Krishnamoorthi said. “We should, as politicians, as elected officials, be very careful with what we say about the conflict, any conflict — that goes for what’s happening in Gaza, but it really goes for what happens anywhere.”

He cited the phrase, “from the river to the sea” as one slogan that “to a lot of people … is code for potentially taking violent acts against a certain people.” 

To address the antisemitism crisis in the United States, Krishnamoorthi said that Congress needs to move beyond nonbinding resolutions to binding legislation. He noted that he was a lead sponsor of the 2023 Hate Crimes Commission Act, which was supported by some Jewish groups, that would study the rise of hate crimes and issues of underreporting and provide recommendations on how to prevent hate crimes.

Krishnamoorthi voted in favor of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which Kelly opposed. He opposed some resolutions the House has voted on regarding antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, voting “present” on a resolution describing anti-Zionism as antisemitic, and against a resolution calling for college presidents to resign after their testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

On the former, he said he’d heard from Jewish and other constituents “that there’s a difference between being against Zionism and being against Jewish people” and that he didn’t “want to necessarily broaden the definition so much that people could not somehow be critical of the policies of Israel, and if they were, would be called antisemitic, because it turns out that a lot of Jewish Americans told me that they fell in that category.”

On the latter, he said that he thought the college presidents’ testimony was “terrible” and “unacceptable” but felt that government intrusion into private universities or other organizations’ hiring decisions “opens a Pandora’s box of potentially really bad outcomes.”

Looking at the ongoing war in Gaza, Krishnamoorthi said that the immediate goal should be to reach a ceasefire and hostage-release deal as soon as possible, and to work in the long term toward a two-state solution. He said that a Palestinian state must be peaceful and cannot be led by Hamas.

“The good news is there’s a lot of other neighbors that are willing to help fund this type of situation, if we would just like keep our eyes on the prize,” he said, “because ultimately, what we want to see is the Abraham Accords fully blossom into full recognition of Israel by her neighbors, including Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf states and the Palestinian state being funded by them, and then real trade and other commercial ties binding the region.”

He said he’s been particularly impressed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II in annual meetings between the Jordanian monarch and the House Intelligence Committee.

“When you have people like that — he’s literally putting his life on the line every day for this vision — then I have hope,” Krishnamoorthi said. “But getting there is obviously a huge challenge. But we have to kind of seize this moment.”

On the Intelligence Committee, Krishnamoorthi said he sees on a daily basis the value of the U.S.-Israel relationship, which provides “remarkable intelligence sharing” and innovative defense technologies that help protect U.S. personnel and interests. 

He voted in favor of supplemental U.S. aid to Israel last year, and said he would not support legislation like that pushed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other Senate progressives that seeks to block various arms transfers to Israel. He noted that all U.S. arms sales are already subject to conditions, that placing additional “onerous conditions” on aid to Israel to defend itself would not be consistent with U.S. interests.

Rabbi Barry Axler, a Chicago-area supporter of Krishnamoorthi who is co-chairing a fundraiser for the Jewish and pro-Israel community, told JI that Krishnamoorthi is a longtime friend of the Jewish community and hopes it will stand behind him.

“Of the three candidates running here, he’s the strongest by far for Israel, and I’m getting behind him as best as I can,” Axler said. “One is Robin Kelly, who … has not been the best friend of our community, of Israel. The other one is the lieutenant governor, Stratton, and she’s got no background at all with us.”

“Even if the other two had more or less strong records on Israel, Raja’s been there before and we just can’t abandon him,” Axler continued.

He said that Krishnamoorthi has told him that his family has strong ties to the Jewish community, having sent his children to a local Jewish Community Center preschool.

“He said, ‘Every Friday they used to come home and sing ‘Shabbat Shalom’ — but I put my foot down when they wanted to build a sukkah,’” Axler recounted.

The next big intra-Democratic primary battle over Middle East policy is shaping up on the North Shore of Chicago in one of the most heavily Jewish House districts in the country, where longtime Jewish Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) said on Monday that she would not seek reelection.

Her widely anticipated retirement announcement had set off a behind-the-scenes scramble among several potential candidates eyeing the coveted open seat in Illinois’ deep blue 9th Congressional District, which includes part of Chicago and northern suburbs such as Evanston and Skokie.

The first major Democratic candidate to enter the race, Laura Fine, a Jewish state senator, launched her campaign on Tuesday morning and is emerging as a pro-Israel favorite in the developing primary, as she prepares to face several opponents who have been openly hostile to the longstanding U.S. alliance with Israel or drawn backlash from Jewish leaders over their approach to key issues involving Middle East policy.

In an interview with Jewish Insider on Monday, Fine touted her pro-Israel platform and described herself as a staunch defender of the Jewish state who has long been outspoken against rising antisemitism fueled by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Calling Israel “one of America’s most important allies and the only democracy in the Middle East,” Fine said the country “was brutally attacked on Oct. 7 — and has every right to defend itself against the ongoing attacks.” The remaining hostages held in Gaza, she emphasized, “need to come home, now.”

“It’s frustrating that this conflict continues to rage,” she said of the Israel-Hamas war, advocating for a “negotiated, two-state solution that brings peace to both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Fine also backed continued security assistance to Israel that has faced opposition from some House Democrats and said that the U.S. needs to “work to safeguard Israel from the threat of Iran” — which is now in talks with the Trump administration over its nuclear program.

The 58-year-old state lawmaker, who served in the state House before rising to the Senate in 2019, is a co-chair of the legislative Jewish Caucus and calls herself a “proud Jewish woman,” noting that her bat mitzvah was held in Israel. “I have been on the front lines of the fight against antisemitism,” she told JI, pointing to her efforts to provide increased security funding to Jewish institutions as well as state grant money to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and other places.

“First and foremost, I’m really tired of Israel being used as a political football to score points,” Fine said, even as she stressed a commitment to fighting anti-Jewish harassment seen at Northwestern University in her own district.

Still, Fine said that she was unfamiliar with a key piece of federal legislation called the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which has remained stalled in the Senate even as it has been championed by leading Jewish advocacy groups. “That is something I will look into,” she said of the bill aimed at addressing the surge of antisemitic activity on college campuses in the aftermath of Hamas’ attacks. “I have been really focused on fighting antisemitism in Illinois.”

Meanwhile, Fine voiced skepticism of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign students and strip colleges and universities of federal funds in the name of combating antisemitism. “First and foremost, I’m really tired of Israel being used as a political football to score points,” she said, even as she stressed a commitment to fighting anti-Jewish harassment seen at Northwestern University in her own district.

As the primary to succeed Schakowsky continues to take shape, Fine is expected to face Daniel Biss, her predecessor in the state Senate who is now mayor of Evanston, a progressive stronghold. During his 2017 campaign for Illinois governor, Biss, who is Jewish, faced scrutiny from Jewish community leaders over choosing a running mate who endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

While he ultimately dropped his running mate amid the widespread backlash, the initial blunder could resurface as a potential red flag among pro-Israel activists assessing the race in its early stages. Biss did not respond to a request for comment on Monday about his plans for the race. 

Like Schakowsky, Biss, 47, is more ideologically aligned with the left-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street, according to people familiar with his views on Middle East policy. The organization, which has embraced increasingly adversarial positions toward Israel in recent years, frequently feuds with AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group whose political arm is currently monitoring the race but has “not yet made a decision” regarding an endorsement, according to a spokesperson.

Fine said that she has met with AIPAC as well as Democratic Majority for Israel, whose political arm has also played an active role in recent Democratic primaries where divisions over Israel have featured prominently. A spokesperson for DMFI PAC did not respond to a request for comment on its own plans.

Even before Schakowsky revealed that she would retire on Monday, the 14-term congresswoman had drawn a challenger to her far left, Kat Abughazaleh, a social media influencer of Palestinian descent who is making her opposition to Israel a central element of her long-shot campaign. In one fundraising text sent by her campaign, for instance, the 26-year-old political newcomer accused “Democratic leadership of caving to the pro-apartheid lobby,” while adding she “won’t vote to send unrestricted military aid to our ‘allies’ when the bombs are killing children and civilians.”

In previous online posts, Abughazaleh has described Israel a “genocidal apartheid regime” and invoked a phrase, “from the river to the sea,” that is widely interpreted as a call for Israel’s elimination as a Jewish state.

“I don’t know her, and we obviously disagree on some pretty critical issues,” Fine said of her rival on Monday. “I’ve been very clear today where I stand. I’m not going to attack my opponents. I’m focused on telling my story.”

“What does it mean, within American Jewry, where you stand on Israel — where you stand on American domestic issues?” Manny Houle, a pro-Israel strategist who is advising Danny Goldberg on a potential campaign told JI. “I absolutely believe that that will play out in the primary — from outside money into the district.”

While Abughazaleh, a recent transplant to the district, is not regarded as a serious candidate given her lack of experience and incendiary rhetoric, one Democratic campaign strategist who has worked in Chicago suggested that she could gain traction if the primary field attracts more established figures who end up splitting the vote.

In addition to Biss, the primary could also draw state Reps. Hoan Huynh and Daniel Didech as well as Danny Goldberg, an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County. Manny Houle, a pro-Israel strategist who is advising Goldberg on a potential campaign, said the likely preponderance of Jewish candidates in the race could provide an opportunity to engage in a lively debate about key issues relating to Israel and other communal concerns.

“What does it mean, within American Jewry, where you stand on Israel — where you stand on American domestic issues?” Houle, who has previously served as a progressive outreach director for AIPAC in the Midwest, told JI. “I absolutely believe that that will play out in the primary — from outside money into the district.”

With Schakowsky now preparing to leave the stage after more than a quarter century in Congress, pro-Israel leaders in Chicago and beyond are eager to support a new candidate who is more aligned with their views, as the outgoing progressive lawmaker has embraced more critical positions toward Israel amid its war in Gaza.

“For more than two decades, Congresswoman Schakowsky has been one of the most fearless and effective progressive voices in Washington,” Fine said. “I will try to make her proud by carrying her vision forward as we continue to fight for dignity, fairness and opportunity for all.”

David Rosenberg, the president of CityPAC, a pro-Israel advocacy group in Chicago that has met with Fine to discuss her campaign, said he has been disappointed by Schakowsky’s approach to Middle East policy, which has included calls to cut off aid to Israel.

The open-seat primary, he told JI on Monday, “presents a unique opportunity to hopefully see someone more supportive on our issues in her old seat.”

Speaking with JI, Fine, for her part, expressed appreciation for Schakowsky’s legacy, even as she acknowledged the two “won’t agree on everything.”

“For more than two decades, Congresswoman Schakowsky has been one of the most fearless and effective progressive voices in Washington,” Fine said. “I will try to make her proud by carrying her vision forward as we continue to fight for dignity, fairness and opportunity for all.”