Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old creator making videos about politics and the right wing, announced a run for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District today. The seat is held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), who hasn’t faced a serious primary challenge since 1998.
Abughazaleh previously worked for Media Matters, the nonprofit that Elon Musk pounced on for its reporting about X. In 2024 the organization laid off more than a dozen staffers, including Abughazaleh, citing “a legal assault on multiple fronts.”