Kat Abughazaleh, progressive reporter and now Congressional candidate, announced Monday that she is running to represent Illinois’ Ninth Congressional district in Washington, D.C. Abughazaleh cited outdated leadership, the Democratic party’s inability to “stand up to authoritarians,” and the struggle to thrive in America as her reasons for running.
In her announcement, the 26-year-old called on the Democratic Party to “grow a fuck*ng spine,” as she stated the party is currently incapable of halting the influence of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Abughazaleh argued that financial struggles should not be a common occurrence among the American people, blaming elected officials for causing them.
Currently, her district is represented by Democratic Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowski, an 80-year-old who has held office since 1999.
“Unfortunately this party has become one where you have to look to the exceptions for real leadership, as the majority work from an outdated playbook,” she said in a video she posted to X. (RELATED: You Are Not Fighting’: Republicans Aren’t The Only Ones Facing Rabid Town Halls)
The Democratic Party’s favorability ratings have dropped to a record low of 29%, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
“We need a makeover. Which means we need a vision that’s bigger than what we’ve been told is possible. There is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t be able to afford housing, groceries and healthcare with some money left over,” the candidate added in her video.
Abughazaleh criticized her party for its inaction toward Trump and Musk.
“While current democratic leadership might be fine cowering to Trump, I’m not. I’ve spent my entire career reporting on the far right, and being attacked by them as a result,” she stated. (RELATED: Chuck Schumer Insists He Should Keep His Job As Fellow Democrats Circle Like Vultures)
I’m Kat Abughazaleh and I’m running for Congress. pic.twitter.com/tEtaNcc5xL
— Kat Abughazaleh (@abughazalehkat) March 24, 2025
“Just a few months ago Elon Musk’s lawyers deposed me here in Chicago to ask about my mean tweets,” she claimed.
Abughazaleh concluded by emphasizing that she is not running to appease “rich donors.”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 9: An exterior view of the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2024 in Washington, DC. Members of the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives return to the Nation’s capitol, following their August recess. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
In a separate X post, Abughazaleh mentioned that she will not be accepting money from corporate donors.
“My campaign and I would rather spend money on book drives, clothing exchanges and public events, than fancy fundraisers for rich donors. I also want my campaign to be as transparent as possible,” she stated.
“We all deserve better. We deserve human rights and financial freedom and a party that stands up to authoritarians. We deserve to thrive not just survive, and I plan to fight for those ideals both on the campaign trail and in Congress,” Abughazaleh added.
Abughazaleh previously worked for Media Matters, Mother Jones and Mehdi Hasan’s Zeteo News.
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