Voters in a Chicago-area district are choosing a successor to retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky in a crowded Democratic primary spanning three generations. Leading candidate Daniel Biss, a 48-year-old Gen Xer, faces younger challengers like 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh and 28-year-old Bushra Amiwala. The race highlights tensions over party norms and progressive change ahead of Illinois primaries on Tuesday.
The district, held by 81-year-old Democrat Jan Schakowsky for 27 years, is reliably blue, making the primary the key contest. Schakowsky is endorsing Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, Illinois, who leads polls among over a dozen candidates. Biss, a Gen Xer, emphasizes experience in government and activism. He told supporters, “The balance of power is shifting from workers to corporations. We got to blow that up, and I'm going to go to Congress and be a part of blowing that up.” A 30-year-old backer, Seara Clayborn, praised his “progressive change in moderation.” Biss has sworn off donations from AIPAC and calls for fighting President Trump's agenda while addressing high costs, though policies play less of a role than approaches to party norms and campaigning. He added, “There's nobody else who's done both things that I think we need right now - fought and won inside of government and fought and won out on the streets.” Ten minutes from Evanston, 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh runs a nontraditional campaign with knitting circles and livestreams. A progressive researcher who moved to Chicago in 2024, she critiques the party: “The Democratic Party has been terrified of the idea of progressive populism because it means risking power.” She opposes super PACs and pro-Israel lobbies. Supporter Jim Kress, in his late 30s, switched from Biss, saying Abughazaleh addresses establishment issues. Twenty-eight-year-old Bushra Amiwala, elected to her school board at 21 as an early Gen Z officeholder, represents her hometown. She notes the crowded field confuses voters but stresses its importance for progressive policy. The contest tests demands for new Democratic leadership amid calls for generational turnover.
