Chicago City Wire

Politics in the United States continues to be influenced by social media, as evidenced by Katherine "Kat" Abughazaleh's recent announcement of her candidacy for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Democrat Jan Schakowsky, who will retire at the end of her term after 26 years.

Abughazaleh, a social media influencer and former employee of Media Matters, announced her candidacy on her 26th birthday. Her move from Washington D.C. to Chicago occurred after she was laid off by Media Matters following a legal dispute with Elon Musk's platform over advertisement placements next to controversial content.

Her background includes writing for Mother Jones and covering Tucker Carlson's Fox News show. Abughazaleh's tagline was: "I watch Tucker Carlson, so you don’t have to."

Regarding her political positions, they are described as standard left-wing views, which were shaped during her time at George Washington University. While not overtly pro-Palestinian compared to others on the left, she sympathizes with them over Israel.

Abughazaleh shared personal experiences on Ben Joravsky’s podcast about moving from Dallas to Tucson during high school and encountering poverty on a larger scale than before. However, US Census Bureau data shows similar poverty levels between the two cities.

As she seeks election, there is speculation about whether this bid could lead to future opportunities in media should she not succeed politically.