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Illinois Results: Biss Beats Abughazaleh in Blow to Left and AIPAC

Biss won the 9th District primary amid heavy outside spending and acknowledged a former student’s allegation of a past relationship.

Illinois Results: Biss Beats Abughazaleh in Blow to Left and AIPAC
Image · The Intercept

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Outlet credibilityThe Intercept69/100 MEDIUM
This article1 analysis · Oct 8, 2026
Mar 17, 2026
tl;dr

Illinois Democrats chose Daniel Biss over Kat Abughazaleh in the 9th District primary, while Juliana Stratton won the Senate primary. The results came after outside groups spent heavily across the state’s competitive races.

Community verdict

17 VOTES
How does this story look for
Daniel Biss D · IL
● OPEN

People in this story

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Democratic nominee in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Democratic nominee in the Illinois Senate primary

Stratton's version of this story ↗
La Ford
D · IL

State representative who won the 7th District primary

Progressive candidate in the 9th District primary

Representative who lost the Illinois Senate primary

Cook County commissioner who won the 2nd District primary

Former representative and winner of the 8th District primary

Progressive candidate who lost the 8th District primary

Chicago city treasurer who lost the 7th District primary

Bernie Sanders
I · VT · SEN

Senator who endorsed Robert Peters

Candidate who received early AIPAC donor support in the 7th District race

Retiring representative whose seat Biss will seek to replace

Richard J. Durbin
D · IL · SEN

Retiring senator whose seat was contested in the Democratic primary

Representative who lost the Illinois Senate primary

State senator and progressive candidate in the 2nd District primary

Ilhan Omar
D · MN-5

Representative who endorsed Abughazaleh

Candidate in the 7th District primary and union executive

Rashida Tlaib
D · MI-12

Representative who endorsed Abughazaleh

Elizabeth Warren
D · MA · SEN

Senator who endorsed Robert Peters and Daniel Biss

Retiring representative whose seat was contested in the 7th District primary

Laura Fine
D · IL

State senator and third-place finisher in the 9th District primary

ALSO MENTIONED  Kat Abughazaleh, Democratic candidate who placed second in the 9th District primary; JB Pritzker, Illinois governor who endorsed Stratton and donated to her super PAC; Jesse Jackson Jr., Former representative who lost the 2nd District primary

Part of a bigger story

10 OUTLETS
Daniel Biss Wins Democratic Primary for Illinois’s 9th Congressional District

Outlets agree Daniel Biss won the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. His victory puts him in position to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Left-leaning outlets focus on outside spending, presenting the result as a blow to the left and AIPAC. Center outlets place the win amid wider Democratic divisions over Israel policy, outside spending and scrutiny of Biss’s past relationship with a former student. Right-leaning outlets mostly present progressive candidates’ losses as a setback, while one argues the allegation should not disqualify Biss.

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