Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss Triumphs in Illinois Primary, Marking a Setback for AIPAC
CHICAGO — In a decisive victory with national implications, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss won the Democratic primary for Illinois’s 9th Congressional District on Tuesday, successfully navigating a race that became a high-profile referendum on the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) within the Democratic Party.
Biss, who brings a deeply personal connection to the issues of Israel and the Holocaust—his mother is Israeli and his grandparents were survivors—has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. This stance drew a fierce, multi-million dollar advertising assault from a super PAC aligned with AIPAC, which sought to undermine his candidacy in the final weeks of the race.
A Costly and Complex Intervention
The scale of outside spending in this primary was extraordinary. According to Federal Election Commission filings, an AIPAC-aligned group, the United Democracy Project, spent over $5 million on television and digital ads. These ads initially aimed to boost the campaign of state Senator Laura Fine, whom the group supported, while simultaneously attacking Biss for his criticism of Israeli policy. As the race progressed and Biss maintained a lead, the same super PAC shifted some of its firepower to another progressive candidate, social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, a Palestinian American known for her more strident critiques of Israel. This late-stage effort was widely seen as an attempt to fragment the progressive vote. The super PAC ultimately removed its direct anti-Biss advertising in the race’s final days, but not before a new, obscure shell PAC emerged to support a different low-polling progressive, further complicating the electoral math.
This intervention placed the Illinois 9th District—a seat held by a Jewish Democrat for over six decades and with a Jewish population exceeding 10%—at the center of a national debate. Political analysts noted that the district’s longstanding pro-Israel constituency made it a unique testing ground for AIPAC’s strategy of financially supporting candidates who align with its positions and opposing those who do not, regardless of their party affiliation.
Biss’s Path to Victory: Experience, Endorsement, and a Progressive Platform
Biss’s victory was not solely a reaction against outside spending. It was built on a foundation of deep local roots, a well-defined policy platform, and a crucial endorsement from the retiring incumbent, Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Schakowsky, a 14-term liberal stalwart, formally backed Biss in January, citing his legislative experience in the Illinois General Assembly and their shared priorities on domestic issues as well as a similar, though not identical, approach to U.S.-Israel relations.
His campaign articulated a broad progressive agenda that resonated in the district. Key planks included a push for major federal investment in affordable housing, an expansion of Social Security benefits, and a ban on stock trading by members of Congress. These domestic policy focuses were complemented by his foreign policy stance, which aligned him with the more liberal pro-Israel advocacy group J Street—a clear alternative to AIPAC—and allowed him to frame AIPAC’s involvement as inappropriate “interference” in Democratic primaries.
Biss’s biography also contributed to his credibility. A former mathematics professor at the University of Chicago, he served one term in the Illinois House and two in the Illinois Senate before an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018. He also gained local and national attention for his direct-action protests against federal immigration enforcement, including confrontations with ICE agents at a Chicago-area gas station. This blend of academic, legislative, and activist experience presented him as a seasoned figure ready for Congress.
Historical Context and the Road Ahead
The 9th District’s political history is significant. Its string of Jewish representatives, from the late Sidney Yates to Jan Schakowsky, reflects both the district’s demographic makeup and its alignment with a traditional, liberal pro-Israel stance. Biss’s victory, therefore, signals a potential evolution. While he does not reject U.S. support for Israel, his criticism of the current war’s conduct and his ability to defeat an AIPAC-backed candidate in this specific district suggest that the party’s consensus on Israel may be shifting in certain constituencies.
With no serious Republican opponent expected in the November general election for this solidly blue district, Biss is now the overwhelming favorite to head to Washington. His primary win will be analyzed as a case study in how Democratic candidates can withstand massive, targeted outside spending by asserting an independent foreign policy voice and securing the backing of a popular incumbent. The result delivers a tangible, if localized, blow to AIPAC’s recent efforts to shape Democratic primaries and reignites discussion about the role of single-issue advocacy groups in the party’s internal contests.
