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Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, has won the Democratic primary for the state's 9th congressional district, according to a race call by The Associated Press. He emerged victorious in a crowded field competing for a Chicago-area seat that has not been open for nearly three decades.
Biss's win in this safely Democratic district concludes a highly contested primary featuring more than a dozen candidates vying to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, who first took office in 1999.
Endorsed by Schakowsky and national figures such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Biss was considered the frontrunner heading into the race. On the campaign trail, he distinguished himself by highlighting both his experience in elected office and his commitment to progressive causes, as well as his opposition to former President Trump's agenda.
"I just don't think we can afford to compromise on either of those two things," Biss told NPR in an interview before the primary.
Tuesday's results offer an early glimpse into what Democratic voters seek from the next generation of party leaders and how much change they desire amid the party's current lack of power in Washington, D.C.
Political newcomer Kat Abughazaleh finished second to Biss by four percentage points with more than 90 percent of votes counted, according to the AP. The 26-year-old progressive researcher and commentator ran on an anti-establishment platform, arguing that Democrats have failed to deliver tangible results for voters and need to overhaul longstanding party norms.
"Bipartisanship is negotiating different approaches to a similar goal. I think that goal should be: everyone can afford housing, groceries and health care with money left over to save and spend. I think that is the true center," Abughazaleh told NPR during a campaign event ahead of the primary.
"We can't just look at compromise as getting your hand cut off and being grateful they left you your pinky."
Though young and new candidates often face institutional barriers when running for Congress, Abughazaleh became one of the most closely watched contenders in the race. Had she won, she would have been on track to become the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress.
While generational politics played a role—Biss, at 48, is a member of Generation X—the primary was also shaped by debates over the influence of special interest groups, particularly pro-Israel organizations like AIPAC. Individuals and groups aligned with AIPAC reportedly spent millions attacking Biss and supporting another candidate, state Sen. Laura Fine.
Biss, who is Jewish, has denounced AIPAC but disclosed meeting with the group early in his campaign. He faced criticism for not taking a clearer stance on U.S. aid to Israel. Abughazaleh, who is Palestinian American, has criticized Israel's war efforts in Gaza as genocide.
In the final days of the campaign, Biss faced scrutiny after a former student accused him of an "inappropriate romantic relationship."
The Biss campaign acknowledged the relationship in a statement shared with The Daily Northwestern, saying it occurred in 2004 when Biss was a 26-year-old postdoctoral instructor at the University of Chicago and the student was 20.
"Daniel realized then, as he does now, that it was ill-advised, and he ended it," the campaign said.
