* Evanston Now…

Bruce Leon, a leader in Chicago’s Orthodox Jewish community and the 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman is suspending his campaign for Illinois’ 9th Congressional district, Evanston Now has learned.

The decision comes after weeks of pressure from the American Israel Political Action Committee to force Leon out of the race, in an effort to consolidate the more conservative Orthodox Jewish community behind State Sen. Laura Fine. […]

Leon confirmed he’s suspending his campaign ” for a week” on Tuesday night. Candidates have until Jan. 8 to remove their names from the March 17 ballot. […]

In an email to supporters Wednesday morning, Leon wrote that his decision is temporary, after “A few key supporters and friends have lost their nerve amidst tremendous political pressure from Washington D.C. interests.”

“They have asked me to step back and reflect on my candidacy,” Leon wrote. “I respectfully disagree with their political analysis and am certain that I have a viable if unconventional pathway to victory in this stratified race. Nonetheless, out of respect I have agreed to press pause.”

…Adding… Evanston Roundtable…

Leon said AIPAC representatives and some local Jewish leaders in the district argued that while he didn’t have a viable path to victory, his supporters in the Orthodox Jewish community could help Fine overtake Biss and Abughazaleh in the highly fractured Democratic primary, which has 17 candidates on the ballot. When he didn’t budge at this, he said their argument changed to center concerns of antisemitic violence increasing if a candidate unaligned with AIPAC were to win.

“They said, ‘Listen, if Kat or Biss win, your community will not be safe, and any synagogue attack will be on your hands,’” Leon said. […]

“I don’t want to be seen as somebody that is going against the community,” Leon said, “and God forbid anything should happen security-wise.” […]

But he’s now pushing back on the argument again, trying to “get them to back off this edict,” in order to reenter the race. “I need them to move back and to say, ‘At the end of the day, maybe we should just let everybody run.’”

The Tribune…

“AIPAC has been breathing down the rabbis’ necks,” Leon, who said he previously donated thousands of dollars annually to the organization, said this week. […]

Asked repeatedly Monday whether her campaign had been in contact with AIPAC and how she felt about the organization, Fine didn’t answer directly.

“I’m a proud Jewish woman who supports Israel, and I’m the co-chair of the Jewish Caucus in the Illinois Senate. So it’s no surprise to me that people are putting us together, because I’m a pro-Israel, Jewish woman,” she said. […]

Asked whether she would acknowledge the political maneuvers from AIPAC that appeared to be to her benefit, Fine said: “I have no idea, because I have no control over what they do.”

* US Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi raised “nearly $3.6 million” during the final quarter of 2025. Press release…

Today, the Raja for Illinois campaign announced that it raised nearly $3.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a fourth consecutive quarter of raising more than $3 million. He has far outraised his opponents in every quarter of the primary so far. The campaign ended 2025 with over $15.2 million cash on hand, and Early Voting in Illinois is set to begin one month from today.

News of another successful quarter comes as Raja has a 28-point lead in the primary, dominating the race even in polls commissioned by super PACs supporting his opponent. Raja for Illinois has been communicating on televisions and screens across Illinois since July of last year, highlighting Raja’s upbringing as an underdog, outlining his plan to hold Trump accountable, and spotlighting his status as a lifelong fighter for working people. He crisscrossed the state on a listening tour, meeting with Illinoisans in Moline, Petersburg, Bloomington, East Alton, Mount Vernon, Carbondale, Springfield, Rockford, and more. He has blanketed local news with both his Trump Accountability Plan and his American Dream Plan to lower costs and increase opportunity so that every Illinoisan has the chance to thrive. He has earned the support of dozens of local mayors, over 100 Black faith leaders, a dozen labor organizations, downstate leaders, a coalition of Latino leaders, and more.

“This past year, countless supporters chipped in to support our campaign because they know that Raja is the fighter Illinois needs in the U.S. Senate to hold Trump accountable and deliver for working families,” said Raja for Illinois campaign manager Brexton Isaacs. “With seventy days to go, eight months of momentum at our back, and a strong foundation of grassroots support, we are the only team in this race that is built to win.”

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and US Rep. Robin Kelly have not released their Q4 totals.

* The Wall Street Journal…

[Gov. JB Pritzker] has clashed with [US Rep. Robin Kelly], who in 2021 defeated the candidate the governor supported to become chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. A year later, Pritzker pushed Kelly out and installed his chosen candidate. […]

Kelly, in an interview, said she has “moved on” from her spat with Pritzker. She said there is nothing the governor could offer her to get her out of the primary, an exit that theoretically would help Stratton by narrowing the race.

“He should offer it to his lieutenant governor, not me,” she said. “I’m in this to win it.” […]

Stratton declined in an interview to offer specifics about what kind of financial or campaign-trail support she expects from Pritzker, or whether she feels any added pressure to succeed when the governor is working to boost his national brand. […]

In an interview, Krishnamoorthi said he has a “good working relationship” with Pritzker and would like to see him run for president. He said he understands why the governor would endorse his lieutenant governor, but also suggested Pritzker might not go full out for her. “The governor is also trying to run a state, he’s running for re-election,” Krishnamoorthi said. “Getting into a contested primary, when he is trying to unite Team Illinois behind other aspirations, may not be the best course.”

* The Tribune…

[A] complaint has been filed against [Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton,] alleging her Senate campaign misused an email fundraising list from her state campaign, something her Senate campaign dismisses as “frivolous.”

The complaint, filed by a family member associated with a Krishnamoorthi supporter, contends that in the month before Stratton announced her Senate bid, her state campaign fund spent more than $100,000 on a firm to increase her digital presence and grow an email list, then effectively transferred that asset to her federal campaign without properly disclosing it, in violation of federal campaign law.

The complaint cites a person who said they signed up for Stratton’s state campaign emails and subsequently received campaign emails from Stratton’s Senate campaign account after she announced her bid for federal office.

Stratton’s campaign disputes the characterization. Despite heavy state spending to help curate a state email list, her Senate campaign said it is not using the state list and has instead built its own new list while using the same digital vendor.

* Evanston Now…

Several Democratic candidates seeking to represent the 9th Congressional District next year issued searing criticisms of President Donald J. Trump Saturday after the U.S. conducted military strikes on Venezuela and ousted its president, Nicolás Maduro.

Overnight, candidate Kat Abughazaleh was the first to issue a statement as reports first began circulating that the U.S. had begun conducting strikes on the South American country, calling the U.S.’s actions an “unconstitutional war of aggression” and later describing the U.S. arrest of Maduro as a “kidnapping.”

Abughazaleh wrote in a post on social media that Congress should “exercise its power, halt this conflict and impeach this war criminal president.”

By morning, other congressional candidates followed suit, with Skokie School Board member Bushra Amiwala and State Sen. Mike Simmons also issuing calls for impeachment.

* The Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…

Early this morning, bright yellow billboards featuring Representative Mary Miller appeared across Adams, Coles, Macon, and Morgan counties, bearing the messages “Mary Miller Has Failed Illinois”. The billboards were paid for by the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association as part of a district wide effort to draw attention to the abject failure of Mary Miller’s time in office.

President Mark Guethle commented this morning about the group’s intentions.

“Mary Miller is running for re-election, so we thought we’d help advertise what exactly she has accomplished for her district - which is a whole hell of a lot of nothing,” Guethle said. “She’s been in that seat for five years, and instead of delivering for her constituents, she’s focused on embarrassing herself and the communities she represents. Just Google her top accomplishments—it’s a very short list, and it’s nothing but a handful of far-right, symbolic bills that do nothing to help people. They only appease Donald Trump as Miller continues to fawn over him.”

Guethle added that Miller has failed to deliver on key priorities for her district. “Our health insurance premiums tripled because of her. Our most vulnerable went hungry during a government shutdown because of her. Billionaires are paying less in taxes than working people in her district. And our soybean farmers are watching businesses built over generations slip away in a single season because of her,” Guethle said. “But don’t worry–her farm is doing just fine. Did I mention it’s incorporated in Delaware?”

County Chairs Terry Redman and Katherine Daniels, along with local Democrats in their respective county parties, worked closely with the IDCCA to launch the campaign alongside a companion website, marymillerhasfailed.us, which outlines Miller’s voting record, racist and antisemitic remarks, likely ethics violations, and ties to extremism. A district wide digital ad buy is also launching to support this campaign. The entire campaign will last several months as the IDCCA helps remind voters of Miller’s failures. […]

“Illinois deserves better than Mary Miller,” Guethle said. “The IDCCA will be fully behind whoever earns the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, doing everything in our power to help them win.”

* Politico…

In IL-09: Daniel Biss has been endorsed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in his Democratic bid for Congress.

In IL-09: Top Pakistani-American political organizations are backing Bushra Amiwala for Congress. The Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee and the American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee have both endorsed her.

In IL-10: Morgan Coghill has been endorsed by The Justice Coalition and the Illinois Muslim Action Network, two Illinois-based groups led by Palestinian and Muslim Americans. Coghill is a Democrat challenging Congressman Brad Schneider in the March primary.

In IL-06: The Justice Coalition has endorsed Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich, a Democrat challenging Congressman Sean Casten in the primary.

* Senator Cristina Castro has endorsed Junaid Ahmed for the 8th CD. Press release…

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-22) announced her endorsement of Junaid Ahmed for Congress in Illinois’ 8th District. Castro represents communities within the 8th Congressional District and has long been a leading voice in Springfield for working families.

“Junaid has shown that he’s not afraid to take on powerful interests and fight for working people,” said State Senator Cristina Castro. “Our district needs a representative who understands the challenges our communities face and is ready to deliver real results. From making life more affordable to expanding healthcare, I know Junaid will be the leader we need in Congress and I’m so proud to endorse his campaign.”

* More…

* NBC | ‘We need real fighters’: Illinois Lt. Gov. Stratton on her Senate campaign: Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss her Senate campaign. Lt. Gov. Stratton says voters are tired of the status quo and want a fighter in Washington.

* Press release | Young Democrats of Illinois Announce 2026 Illinois Eighth Congressional District Democratic Primary Debate: As the 2026 midterm elections begin to heat up, the Young Democrats of Illinois, in partnership with The Ishaan S. Show and a broad coalition of Northwest Suburban Democratic organizations, are proud to announce the 2026 Illinois Eighth Congressional District Democratic Primary Debate. The event will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the National India Hub, located at 930 National Parkway in Schaumburg. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP. For those unable to attend in person, the debate will be live-streamed on The Ishaan S. Show’s YouTube channel.

* Sun-Times | Rep. Krishnamoorthi slams Trump administration plan to close hundreds of vacancies at Chicago VA hospitals: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins on Thursday expressing “serious concern” after the Sun-Times reported 400 open positions would be eliminated at Chicago’s Jesse Brown VA along with 200 at the Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. “In many VA facilities, vacancies reflect persistent hiring challenges in a tight health care labor market — not a lack of need,” wrote Krishnamoorthi, who’s running for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by Dick Durbin. “From the perspective of veterans awaiting appointments, delayed procedures, or mental health services, an unfilled position often represents care that has not yet arrived, not care that is no longer required.

* Daily Herald | ‘A breath of fresh air’: Years after losing to Casten, ex-Rep. Marie Newman backs his latest challenger: Late last week, Newman publicly backed political newcomer Joey Ruzevich of Chicago in the 2026 Democratic primary in the 6th District, which encompasses parts of Cook and DuPage counties. In a news release from the Ruzevich campaign, Newman called the political newcomer “a breath of fresh air.” “I’m thrilled to support an outstanding candidate like Joey,” Newman said. “Joey offers real solutions that actually work in everyday life focused on the cost of living, health care and ending corruption.”

* Daily Herald | U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley raising cash for possible Chicago mayor run: Quigley’s mayoral campaign has been active financially, too. Led by former Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney, the committee launched with an empty bank account but received its first contribution within days — $25,000 from Quigley’s congressional campaign. The two organizations’ funds aren’t allowed to mix, but the campaigns can donate to each other. By the time the mayoral committee filed its first quarterly report in mid-October, it had received more than $54,000 and spent nearly $27,000.

* Evanston Now | Midterm year is upon us: Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign announced last week it would leave the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in protest of its owner, Elon Musk. Abughazaleh had largely stopped posting on X in late October, with her social-media-driven campaign mostly built around the X-alternative site, Bluesky.

* Daily Herald | Saying backers ‘lost their nerve,’ Democrat halts campaign in 9th Congressional District: Abughazaleh spokesperson Ramiro Sarmiento said AIPAC is afraid of Abughazaleh’s momentum, which has grown since she and five others were indicted for their actions during a September protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and assault charges. “They know our campaign will stand up to foreign lobby influence in U.S. elections,” Sarmiento said Friday. “Voters deserve a democracy where elections are decided by people, not by organizations spending millions to manipulate the outcome.”