Progressive activist Kat Abugazare declared on Monday her intention to run against Jan Schakowski (D-Ill.) in a Chicago suburb to remove her from office.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are systematically dismantling our nation, while numerous Democrats simply sit back and appear content to let this happen,” she stated. She said in a video revealing her candidacy on Social Platform x.
“So I believe it’s time to stop making excuses and find the courage to act. I’m Kat Abugazare and I’m running for council in Illinois’ 9th district.”
Abughazare previously worked as a video producer with American Liberal Watchdog Media Matters, which has amassed over 217,000 followers. The 26-year-old avoids directly mentioning the 80-year-old Schakowski in her videos or on her website, but progressive advocates have made it clear that the district is in need of generational change.
“We deserve representatives who experience the same struggles as we do (or at least who have some perspective from the past decade),” Abugazare remarked on her campaign site. “They haven’t tackled out-of-pocket medication expenses, skyrocketing rents, or the persistent existential anxieties in 50 years. You and I will.”
Her campaign website also details the timeline of Schakowsky’s time in Congress, underlining that she has served for 14 terms.
“Make no mistake about that. Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers in Congress aim to dismantle healthcare for millions of Americans, tearing families apart and depriving them of resources to benefit the wealthy.”
Illinois’ 9th Congressional District covers parts of the northern Chicago suburbs, including Evanston, Skokie, and Niles.
The district is predominantly Democratic, and whoever secures the primary is likely to be the strong contender in the general election.
If successful, Abugazare would become the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) was the inaugural Gen Z legislator to be elected in 2022.
