AIPAC‑Linked Networks Spend Millions in Illinois Primaries, Including Controversial 'Chicago Progressive Partnership' Ads
AIPAC-linked networks have poured millions into Illinois primaries, including roughly $2 million by the Chicago Progressive Partnership, which shares vendors with AIPAC-tied entities and has run controversial ads opposing Junaid Ahmed (IL‑8) and backing Bushra Amiwala while opposing Kat Abughazaleh in IL‑9 — ads Amiwala, a critic of Israel, publicly denounced. Groups with innocuous local names like Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now have similarly funneled millions across multiple districts, signaling a broader, coordinated effort to influence primaries.
📌 Key Facts
- Chicago Progressive Partnership has spent about $2 million in Illinois races.
- The group is now confirmed to share vendors with AIPAC-linked entities, strengthening evidence that it is part of a coordinated pro‑Israel spending network.
- Chicago Progressive Partnership targeted specific Illinois primaries: it opposed Junaid Ahmed in IL‑8 and, in IL‑9, supported Bushra Amiwala while opposing Kat Abughazaleh.
- Bushra Amiwala is a critic of Israel and has publicly denounced the ads supporting her.
- Other groups working closely with AIPAC‑tied entities—Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now—have separately poured millions into multiple districts, using innocuous local branding to intervene in primaries and indicating a broader pattern of coordinated intervention.
📊 Relevant Data
Jewish Americans constitute approximately 2.4% of the U.S. population but represent about 6.7% of members in the current U.S. Congress, with 36 Jewish members out of 535 total seats.
New In-Depth Analysis of the Jewish Vote Including 2024 Election — Jewish Voters Research Center
In the 2020 election cycle, 15 of the top political donors were Jewish or of Jewish origin, including prominent figures like George Soros and Tom Steyer, contributing significantly to Democratic causes.
Meet the top 15 Jewish political donors of the 2020 election cycle — J. The Jewish News of Northern California
Illinois's 9th Congressional District has a diverse demographic makeup, with White residents at 53%, Asian at 18%, Hispanic at 15%, and Black at 9%, as of recent census data.
Congressional District 9, IL - Profile data — Census Reporter
Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton has supported stricter regulations on cryptocurrency, aligning with figures like Elizabeth Warren, which has drawn opposition from crypto industry PACs.
Crypto super PAC to go after Democrat Juliana Stratton in Illinois Senate primary — Politico Pro
Candidates like Daniel Biss and Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois's 9th District have taken progressive stances critical of Israel's policies, including calls for ceasefire, leading to opposition from AIPAC-linked groups.
Two Progressives Fight AIPAC (and Each Other) in IL-09 — The American Prospect
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Chicago Progressive Partnership has spent about $2 million in Illinois races and is now confirmed to share vendors with AIPAC-linked entities, strengthening evidence that it is part of a coordinated pro-Israel spending network.
- The group has specifically opposed Junaid Ahmed in IL‑8 and supported Bushra Amiwala while opposing Kat Abughazaleh in IL‑9, even though Amiwala is herself a critic of Israel and has publicly denounced the ads.
- Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now—both working closely with AIPAC-tied groups—have separately poured millions into multiple districts, indicating a broader pattern of using innocuous local branding to intervene in primaries.