https://washingtonsun.com/illinois Illinois en-US Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:02:21 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/pritzker-midterms-money-new-pac-illinois-miller-herrera Jenna Monnin Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, plans to target Ohio’s Rep. Max Miller and Texas’ Brandon Herrera with ad buys. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:02:21 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/pritzker-midterms-money-new-pac-illinois-miller-herrera Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker launched a new political action committee over the weekend that plans to funnel millions of dollars into Democratic House races ahead of the midterms.

Pritzker’s Ready for the Fight PAC — a phrase often used by the governor and repeated liberally in the committee’s first ad spot — plans to invest at least $20 million in what it considers to be overlooked and competitive races, according to Politico, which reported first on the spending push.

The committee will soon target what it deems “the worst of the worst MAGA Republicans,” with ad reservations against Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), who’s facing allegations of domestic abuse, and Texas’ Brandon Herrera, an incendiary internet personality who specializes in firearms and calls himself the “AK Guy.”

Both Ohio’s 7th Congressional District and Texas’ 23rd Congressional District lean red, but Pritzker sees them as potential wins for Democrats — with Trump’s approval rating dropping to record lows and midterm elections historically fairing well for the party that doesn't control the White House.

“As the affordability crisis continues, Democrats must think big and take the fight to every corner to support candidates in often-overlooked races,” a press release on the PAC reads. “With everything we care about on the line, Democrats cannot retreat to a handful of battleground races.”

The governor is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender for Democrats and often stands in strong opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies.

This week, Pritzker will be in Dallas with other Democrats to counter the inaugural GOP midterm convention, according to CNN.

In August 2025, Pritzker hosted a group of Texas lawmakers who fled the state to oppose a Trump-backed redistricting effort. Pritzker has also fought back against Trump’s tariffs that affect the Illinois soybean industry and has lambasted the president’s immigration policies.

Pritzker is running for his third term as Illinois governor, and this PAC will bring his fight against Trump’s agenda to the national stage ahead of the midterms — and a potential presidential run.

“Since launching his campaign in 2017, Gov. Pritzker has closed his speeches with the same question: are you ready for the fight? As Gov. Pritzker has proven in Illinois, Democrats can aggressively fight Trump’s dangerous agenda and deliver real results for working families,” the press release reads.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/chuy-garcia-successor-meddling Oriana González An independent candidate running to succeed García is urging House Ethics officials to conduct an investigation. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/chuy-garcia-successor-meddling House Ethics officials are being asked to weigh in on a bitter, Democratic battle to succeed Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois that is testing rules limiting Capitol Hill staff from campaign work.

García came under fire for seemingly handpicking his former chief of staff to be his successor, including being rebuked by the House earlier this year.

Now, an independent candidate running to succeed him is urging both the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Conduct to investigate García and his staff for allegedly trying to prevent others from challenging his pick in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, NOTUS has learned.

Lawmakers have previously been investigated for allegedly using congressional resources for campaign work: The House censured former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-New York) in 2010 after the House Ethics Committee found he violated ethics rules by using congressional resources for political purposes. Also, the committee sanctioned former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) in 2019 for using congressional resources, including staff time and Hill office space, for political activities. She was forced to reimburse $7,576 to the government for the misused funds.

The House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Conduct declined to comment for this story.

After García announced his retirement plans the same day as the candidate filing deadline, effectively clearing out the primary field for his chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation), several Democrats gathered signatures to appear on the ballot as independent candidates.

But now, people who circulated signatures for Patty Garcia are challenging the signatures gathered by two independent candidates — Mayra Macías and Byron Sigcho-Lopez — to remove them from the ballot in November. Manuel Díaz, a senior adviser for the Illinois congressman, is also helping in the effort to invalidate the signatures.

Macías, a former Democratic political operative, is urging the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Conduct to investigate García and his staff for using official House time for political activity. Specifically, she alleges his staff used congressional resources, including staff time, to coordinate Patty Garcia’s candidacy and to challenge the independents running in the race, according to letters sent to each entity first shared with NOTUS.

“Not only is it unethical, but it is a disservice to the constituents of the 4th Congressional District, because there is a lot of need here that is not being met, and if a staffer is being used for political purposes instead of actually doing that casework that is so necessary in our community, voters need to know that,” Macías told NOTUS.

The House ethics manual prohibits the use of official House resources, including official congressional staff time, for campaign or political purposes. The manual allows House employees to engage in campaign activity on their own time when they “have completed their official duties.”

In her letters, Macías accuses Díaz, Patty Garcia and Chuy García’s district director, Adrian Calderon, of using official time to coordinate Patty Garcia’s candidacy before she resigned as García’s chief of staff on Oct. 31, just three days before she filed to run. Macías also alleges that Díaz used official time to challenge the independent candidates. Sigcho-Lopez, the other independent candidate, told NOTUS he supports Macías’ ethics investigation efforts.

In a statement to NOTUS, Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, a spokesperson for Chuy García, said that Díaz “is a part-time employee for Congressman García. Any unofficial activity was conducted on his personal time. No ethics rules were violated.”

Under Illinois state law, independent candidates are required to submit signatures from at least 5% of the total number of people who voted in the last general election in their congressional district to get on the ballot. That’s 10,816 signatures in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.

Macías and Sigcho-Lopez each turned in over 17,000 signatures, but 10,000 for each candidate were challenged by three individuals: Sandra Mendez, Jeremy Rivera and Rene Munoz. Mendez and Rivera both gathered signatures for Patty Garcia, according to her candidacy paperwork, which was reviewed by NOTUS.

Patty Garcia’s campaign did not respond to NOTUS’ requests for comment, including questions about whether it had coordinated with the three objectors to challenge Macías and Sigcho-Lopez, or whether the candidate did political work during congressional work hours. Díaz, who is listed as a contact for Patty Garcia’s campaign, did not respond to requests for comment.

“It feels like an attack on democracy. It feels like an attack not only on my candidacy, it feels like an attack on our community right to decide who should represent them,” Sigcho-Lopez told NOTUS.

There are currently three independent candidates running in the district: Macías, Sigcho-Lopez and Lyons Mayor Chris Getty, whose signatures are not being challenged. Sigcho-Lopez said that challenging just him and Macías was intentional, arguing that they see the two Latino candidates “as a threat” to Patty Garcia’s “anointment” in a majority-Latino district.

Already, the House passed a symbolic resolution, led by Washington State Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, to disapprove of García’s stunt to favor Patty Garcia in a 236-183 vote. 23 Democrats voted for the measure.

Some of these Democrats said that the efforts to remove the independent candidates did not reflect well on García.

“His office should not be involved at all. I think it should be leave it for the voters,” Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada told NOTUS.

At an Illinois State Board of Elections hearing last month, Díaz, the congressman’s senior adviser, testified that he was involved in reviewing Macías’ signatures and gathered evidence to invalidate one of the signatures. However, Díaz declined to say whether he had taken time off from his official congressional work in order to conduct political work, according to a transcript of the hearing reviewed by NOTUS.

When asked if he was affiliated with the objectors challenging Macías’ signatures, Díaz said, “I am not. I am an employee of the U.S. House of Representatives.” Díaz worked as a notary for Patty Garcia, having certified her candidacy paperwork and signature petitions, which were reviewed by NOTUS.

Recalling the hearing, Macías told NOTUS that Díaz was being evasive and refused to clearly answer that he worked for García, simply stating that he worked at the House of Representatives. She said that her lawyers asked Díaz if he had taken time off from his congressional work, but Díaz “did not answer the question.”

Macías said Díaz’s attendance at the hearing, which is not considered official congressional work, should be investigated since it took place during regular work hours.

“He should not be doing political work on government time. That’s a Hatch Act violation,” Macías said, referring to the federal law that limits political activities of federal employees.

The Illinois State Board of Elections is expected to decide on July 14 whether Macías and Sigcho-Lopez stay on the ballot. Both Macías and Sigcho-Lopez said they’d consider legal challenges if they’re removed.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated who Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli works for. She is a spokesperson for Chuy Garcia.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/broadview-six-chicago-activists-ice-immigration-protests-kat-abughazaleh Jenna Monnin The defendants included former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and her campaign manager. Fri, 22 May 2026 00:43:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/broadview-six-chicago-activists-ice-immigration-protests-kat-abughazaleh Chicago’s top federal prosecutor on Thursday dismissed all charges against the “Broadview Six,” a group of activists and local Democratic politicians arrested at a protest outside an ICE facility in 2025, citing gross misconduct in the case that was set to go to trial on Tuesday.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros dropped the case with prejudice — meaning the claim can never be filed against the group again. Boutros made the unexpected move after a sealed hearing reviewed unredacted grand jury transcripts.

Defense attorneys for the “Broadview Six” say the transcripts reveal that prosecutors axed members of the grand jury who refused to indict the defendants before presenting the case a second time. It is unclear how many grand jurors prosecutors removed.

Boutros, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said his team had made significant “errors” while presenting the charges to the grand jury — though he said he was “completely unaware” of the misconduct until late April.

U.S. District Judge April Perry, who presided over the case, called out Boutros for doubling down on his efforts to malign the defendants.

“You are significantly undercutting your mea culpa here by standing behind the charges and continuing to vilify these particular defendants,” Perry told Boutros. “Mea culpa” is a Latin phrase for "my fault" or "my mistake," usually meaning an admission of liability in a courtroom context.

The indictment charged the group of activists and local politicians with felony conspiracy charges in October, but the government dropped those charges in April. The case then proceeded on two remaining misdemeanor offenses: forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal agent and simple assault of a federal officer.

The “Broadview Six” were arrested during a September protest outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. The group allegedly surrounded and made contact with an ICE agent’s vehicle outside of the building.

The defendants included social media influencer and former U.S. congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and her campaign manager.

“The administration does things like this because it thinks that it can silence us, but it’s not going to work,” Abughazaleh said to reporters after all charges were dropped Thursday. “We fought back and we won.”

The grand jury transcripts have not been released, but multiple media outlets filed a motion to unseal the court proceedings, asserting the transcripts are a “matter of significant public concern.”

Defense Attorney Christopher Parente also called for transparency in the transcript review process and expressed concerns about the prosecutor’s timing in dismissing the original felony charges.

“After six months of high-profile litigation, the timing of the government's sudden decision to drop the felony indictment for the remaining Broadview 6 co-defendants — in lieu of presenting the requested unredacted grand jury transcripts to the Court — raises red flags about the government's presentation of the law to the grand jury,” Parente said in a statement May 4.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a quote from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros, who said that his team made “errors” while presenting charges to a grand jury.
]]> https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/rep-brad-schneider-democrats-shouldnt-give-hasan-piker-a-platform Daniella Diaz, Ed Demaria The Illinois Democrat says the left-wing podcaster promotes “division and hate.” Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/rep-brad-schneider-democrats-shouldnt-give-hasan-piker-a-platform Rep. Brad Schneider, who chairs the moderate New Democrat Coalition in the House, said Democrats should not appear with podcaster Hasan Piker because of his views on Hamas.

“What Hasan Piker is promoting is division and hate,” Schneider said on the On NOTUS podcast. “[He] says he would take Hamas over Israel a thousand times, Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel. Hamas is a terrorist organization, to be supporting that is not a reflection of who we are as a party.”

Piker recently defended remarks that he “would vote for Hamas over Israel” on the “Pod Save America” podcast.

Piker appeared at a campaign stop in April with Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic primary candidate in Michigan’s Senate race, and Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee.

In a recent Pew poll, 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents surveyed said they had an unfavorable view of Israel, something Schneider attributed to images from the war in Gaza and a social media agitation.

“The focused campaign of enemies of peace and enemies of Israel, you see it on social media, to delegitimize Israel, unfairly delegitimize Israel, is certainly having an impact on the public perception,” Schneider said.

Schneider and the New Democrat Coalition recently unveiled a new anti-corruption agenda to combat the corruption that Schneider said is undermining faith in the government.

“New Dems want to make sure that every American can look at what’s happening in Washington and be confident that the people they’ve elected to represent them are putting the people’s interest first, rather than the personal interests,” Schneider said.

He also said that safe House seats created by mid-decade redistricting create havoc in Congress and are “bad for the country.”

“When districts are gerrymandered and you look at what's happened with the Freedom Caucus and how they have literally taken a moment where they’re holding the Speaker of the House, the Republican Speaker of the House, hostage,” Schneider said. “Gerrymandering only leads to the extremes.”

Looking ahead to 2028, Schneider said he expects the Democratic presidential primary field will include more than 20 candidates, potentially including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“I have no doubt it's going to be a crowded field, but it's going to be a talented field and we'll have an amazing choice,” Schneider said.

On NOTUS is a weekly podcast where NOTUS reporters talk to lawmakers about how they got to Washington and what motivates them. You can download or listen here.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/campaigns/democrat-daniel-biss-illinois-congressional-primary-aipac-spending Christa Dutton The Evanston, Illinois, mayor was the target of an attack ad campaign backed by the pro-Israel group. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:47:42 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/campaigns/democrat-daniel-biss-illinois-congressional-primary-aipac-spending Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, was projected Tuesday night to win the crowded Democratic primary in Illinois’ deep-blue 9th Congressional District, a race that highlighted divides within the party over Israel and which generation is best suited to lead the party.

The primary was expected to test the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s influence over Democratic politics at a time when the group’s popularity is waning. The district, which includes the Chicago suburbs, has a large Jewish population.

AIPAC-aligned PACs targeted Biss, who is Jewish, in negative ads for holding more moderate positions on Middle East politics.

But the group shifted its strategy in recent days to prevent criticism of Biss from inadvertently aiding a more progressive candidate, similar to what happened in New Jersey’s special election earlier this year. The AIPAC-affiliated group Chicago Progressive Partnership spent $266,000 to oppose Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive influencer and Palestinian American who is critical of Israel.

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Elect Chicago Women, a super PAC aligned with AIPAC, spent more than $5 million attacking Biss and supporting state Sen. Laura Fine, who is also Jewish.

The two-term mayor earned the endorsements of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who currently represents the district, and several other members of Congress.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/campaigns/juliana-stratton-upsets-raja-krishnamoorthi-win-illinois-senate-primary-jb-pritzker Avani Kalra The Illinois lieutenant governor, who was backed by Gov. JB Pritzker, overcame Krishnamoorthi’s $30 million war chest with influential endorsements. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:33:38 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/campaigns/juliana-stratton-upsets-raja-krishnamoorthi-win-illinois-senate-primary-jb-pritzker Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is projected to be the Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois after defeating Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, among others, on Tuesday night.

Stratton prevailed in a rare open primary in the state after Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, announced his retirement following nearly 30 years in the upper chamber. A Republican hasn’t won statewide in Illinois in 12 years, priming Stratton to take the spot after November’s general election.

“We did it. We showed what’s possible when you listen to the people and give the people what they want,” Stratton told supporters after her victory. “What's possible when you stay true to your values, fight for what you believe in, and never take anything for granted.”

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Stratton also pledged to support all Illinoisans — including those who did not vote for her — in Washington.

“I'd like to thank each and every Illinoisan who showed up to participate in this election and refused to be silenced no matter who you cast your ballot for,” she continued. “Tonight's message is clear. We're ready to take our democracy back into our own hands.”

Stratton’s victory was a major upset, demonstrating that endorsements and statewide name ID could overpower Krishnamoorthi’s massive war chest. He raised $30 million for his bid (including $20 million transferred from his U.S. House account). Krishnamoorthi had emerged early as the frontrunner, opening with early polling advantages and airing television ads months before his competitors.

“Now we must come together as Democrats and as Americans to make sure that we return to the principles that made us a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world,” Krishnamoorthi said after conceding the race to Stratton on Tuesday. 

“I will have almost a year remaining in the best job I've ever had representing the good people of Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, and I pledge to you tonight that I will continue to do that job to the best of my ability to fight for the kind of country we all still believe in,” he continued.

Stratton was endorsed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and five of the 17 U.S. representatives from Illinois. The race was widely seen as a test for Pritzker, who donated $5 million to a group supporting Stratton and campaigned alongside her ahead of his rumored run for president in 2028.

Duckworth told NOTUS that she endorsed Stratton because of her work on maternal health and universal child care in the state House.

“I've watched Raja for nine years, and he hasn't worked with me at all,” Duckworth said. “All he's done is fundraise and name four post offices. On the other hand, Juliana is working extensively on many issues to benefit the people of Illinois. ”

Rep. Robin Kelly, who trailed in third, was officially endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus. Pritzker’s early endorsement of Stratton caused a rift after CBC Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke accused him of “heavy-handing” the race against Kelly.

Democratic strategist Thomas Bowen, who did not work on any of the campaigns, told NOTUS ahead of Tuesday’s election that the biggest issue on the ballot for Illinois voters was the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump. Voters chose between three distinct styles about how to counter him in the solid-blue state, he said.

“Robin put forward a kind of warm, embracing grandmotherly style,” Bowen said. “Raja has done a little more on a methodical, ‘Trump accountability’ plan. Juliana’s communication and the communication on her behalf has been very much, ‘I'm marching right in the streets.’”

The candidates differed on several issues during the primary, including how to address concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Stratton and Kelly have called to “abolish” and “dismantle” ICE, respectively, while Krishnamoorthi has discussed reforms of the agency.

Stratton also attacked the amount of outside spending in the race throughout her campaign. Krishnamoorthi received significant contributions from groups linked to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence companies. Overall, crypto-affiliated groups spent more than $10 million against Stratton.

“Krishnamoorthi and Stratton have both attempted to sort of muddy each other's donor base with MAGA donors, ICE donors, contractors, private prisons,” Bowen said. “They've all been sort of playing the sort of typical games about ‘Oh, look, your money is bad’ to try to peel off voters.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/jesse-jackson-endorsement-juliana-stratton-illinois-senate-campaign Amelia Benavides-Colón Jackson’s family said that an unfinished draft of the late activist’s choices had been inadvertently made public. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:24:30 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/illinois/jesse-jackson-endorsement-juliana-stratton-illinois-senate-campaign The family of the late activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is withdrawing what appeared to be a posthumous endorsement for Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate campaign on Monday, saying that an unfinished draft of his choices had been given to her team.

In a statement released on Saturday, Stratton’s campaign said the Jackson family announced “he had personally endorsed” Stratton “before his passing in February,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The statement also featured a photograph of Jackson with Stratton.

But on Monday, one of Jackson’s children, Yusef Jackson, blamed the situation on an “internal miscommunication” and said in a statement that his father actually had not made up his mind at the time of his death.

“Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized,” Yusef Jackson said. “Unfortunately, this weekend, a draft sample ballot that was in development was released without authorization. It is important to note that the Jackson Family does not issue political endorsements, nor do Rainbow PUSH or the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.”

Stratton is among 10 Democratic candidates running for longtime Washington staple Dick Durbin’s Illinois Senate seat. The race also includes Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi. Kelly and Stratton are the only two Black women running to fill the role.

According to the Tribune, Stratton’s campaign claimed that it was notified by the Jackson family of the endorsement over the weekend and encouraged to promote it, which prompted her staff to print flyers.

“Organizers shared the sample election ballot that was already being distributed and encouraged her to share the news,” the campaign said in a statement.

The pamphlet said it featured the “personal endorsements” of Jesse Jackson and Yusef Jackson.

Politico reported on Monday that Jesse Jackson’s daughter Jacqueline Jackson called Kelly on Monday to apologize for confusion around the Stratton endorsement.

In a Monday evening post to Facebook, Yusef Jackson said he wanted to clarify that “we did not withdraw or retract our endorsement of any one candidate. Instead, we made clear that the document shared this weekend was not final and out of respect for our late father … we would not be confirming or issuing political endorsements in this cycle.”

Stratton’s campaign has a number of other big-name backers: She has accepted nearly $5 million in contributions from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, though Krishnamoorthi has remained ahead in the polls.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/illinois-democratic-primaries-outside-money-ai-aipac Alex Roarty, Samuel Larreal Spending from groups affiliated with the AI industry and the Israel lobby in Chicago-area races has some Democrats panicked about the future. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:41:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/illinois-democratic-primaries-outside-money-ai-aipac A political ad bonanza funded by some of America’s wealthiest and most controversial special interest groups has swamped four Democratic House primaries in the Chicago area, with the potential to determine who wins in tight, crowded races.

Some Democrats are outraged at what they consider the unfair attempt to influence the party’s political priorities — and are worried that the spending explosion ahead of Illinois’ Tuesday primary could become a new normal nationwide.

“Illinois is a big blaring alarm for Democrats across the country about what’s happening,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the liberal grassroots group Indivisible. “This is about whether we have a party that is able to stand up to concentrated corporate interests or not.”

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The spending in a quartet of open, blue-seat Illinois primaries — in the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th congressional districts — has stunned even veteran strategists, who say its scale is unprecedented.

Outside interest groups have spent over $21.6 million on television, radio and digital advertisements across the four races, according to AdImpact data. All Democratic candidates in these primaries have spent a combined roughly $13.1 million on ads, or about 40% less than the outside groups.

The spending has come from super PACs connected to artificial intelligence companies, the crypto industry and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Critics allege that three other newly formed groups spending big money across three of the races are mere fronts for AIPAC, although their funding sources have yet to be made public.

When including all spending, including direct mail, text messaging and media production costs, the outside groups have spent at least $26.8 million in the four races, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission records.

The spending surge has prompted a fierce pushback in the districts, including an uncommon inter-primary press conference from four of the candidates whose campaigns were put at risk by the spending. But Democrats warn the spending has unquestionably affected voters, even threatening to reduce the candidates’ campaigns to ancillary players in their own races.

“It’s a problem for the party because you have these outside groups essentially trying to determine which Democrats are allowed to run for Congress,” former Rep. Tom Malinowski told NOTUS.

Malinowski himself was the target of nearly $2 million in spending from an AIPAC-backed super PAC in a February special election, an ad blitz credited with sinking his attempt to return to Congress. Democrats worry other races, especially a handful of competitive open-seat primaries in New York City, could be vulnerable to similar spending barrage.

“Primaries are more vulnerable to this kind of intervention because candidates generally don’t spend as much in primaries as in highly contested general elections in November,” Malinowski said.

Many of the ads that these groups are running glean over the policy priorities the groups ostensibly care about, like the conflict in Gaza or the regulation of cryptocurrency. Instead, the campaign materials these groups spend tens of millions to promote focus on issues with broader popularity among Democratic voters.

Democrats in Chicago also widely believe that the source of the funding is being obfuscated in three of the districts.

Three groups — Affordable Chicago Now, Elect Democratic Women, and Chicago Progressive Partnership — have spent more than $10 million combined in the 2nd, 8th and 9th Districts. Evanston Now reported in February that the groups shared a vendor with United Democracy Project, which is AIPAC’s official super PAC. Because of campaign finance reporting rules with the FEC, how the trio of super PACs is being funded won’t become public record until after Tuesday’s primary. United Democracy is spending in one race, according to AdImpact, in the 7th District.

Officials with the United Democracy Project did not respond to a request for comment. But AIPAC’s potential involvement hasn’t gone unnoticed among national Democrats, some of whom have sought to curb the group’s influence among Democrats.

“Anyone who cares about the future of the Democratic Party should be outraged about what AIPAC is doing in Chicago,” Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told NOTUS in a statement. “Democratic primary voters are rightly disgusted by MAGA billionaires meddling in our elections to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime, and when we can get the word out about where this money is coming from progressives can win these races.”

The AI industry is also now trying to exert influence over primaries in both parties, as its priorities grow out-of-step with those of the Democratic Party.

A spokesperson for Leading the Future, an AI-backed super PAC, told NOTUS they will continue to be involved in Democratic primaries.

“We’re keeping a watchful eye on every primary, regardless of party affiliation, to see if there’s opportunities to support lawmakers who want to do work on [federal AI regulation] when they come to Congress,” he said.

Opposing factions of the AI industry are major spenders in this year’s elections. Public First, a super PAC network that has received $20 million from AI giant Anthropic, has spent over $600,000 to help elect New York Assemblyman Alex Bores to New York’s 12th District. Bores is the co-author of one of the first AI safety bills to be enacted at the state level.

Leading the Future has contributed roughly $2 million against Bores, an effort by the group to reportedly make an example out of him and stop efforts to regulate the AI industry in Congress.

Democratic strategists say that the primaries in Chicago and across the country this year might be especially vulnerable to big-spending outside groups, even compared to past years, because the races have attracted so many candidates.

In Chicago’s 9th district, for example, 15 Democratic candidates are running to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Even affecting a small percentage of voters in that race can sway the result.

It’s why some groups involved in Democratic primaries with fewer financial resources say they feel outgunned in the primaries.

“There is a lot to be disheartened about with how these primaries are going,” said Tali deGroot, vice president of political and digital strategy at J Street, which advocates for a diplomatic solution to conflict between Gaza and Israel. “I field calls all the time from candidates who say, ‘Can you do anything? They’re dropping millions of dollars against me.’”

But deGroot, whose group is backing Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in the 9th District race, added that she and other Democratic organizations are hopeful that the spending could still backfire. In the New Jersey special election, for instance, AIPAC’s spending helped defeat Malinowski but failed to get the group’s preferred candidate the victory, leading instead to a win for a progressive challenger.

“We cannot counter their Republican billionaire donors dollar for dollar, but as we saw in New Jersey, AIPAC’s tremendous spending doesn’t guarantee their intended outcome,” deGroot said. “We’re optimistic that voters will see through these dark money PACs and support candidates who stand up for the pro-peace values shared by a majority of Democratic voters.”

So far, candidates like Bores of New York and Biss and Junaid Ahmed of Illinois are aggressively highlighting the money opposing their campaigns coming from donors who support Trump.

“My advice to all of the candidates is to go directly at the issue, talk about it every single day, to every single reporter, because it is toxic and it can sink your opponent. And no amount of money can help them,” Jake Lewis, who advises Biss and Robert Peters in Illinois’ 2nd District.

For Malinowski, insulating Democratic primaries from outside group’s influence is going to take a collective effort.

“If the party were to collectively say to these groups that they can go fuck themselves if they’re going to keep doing this and that the party will have nothing to do with them, it would have a considerable impact,” Malinowski said. “Democrats can collectively deny these groups the bipartisan identity that they very much want to retain and force them to come out as part of the MAGA movement which is what I think they are.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/courts/minnesota-sue-dhs-lawsuit-end-surge-of-immigration-ice-officers Amelia Benavides-Colón The lawsuits come just days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:15:28 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/courts/minnesota-sue-dhs-lawsuit-end-surge-of-immigration-ice-officers Officials in Minnesota and Illinois filed a pair of lawsuits Monday against the Department of Homeland Security in an attempt to end a surge of immigration agents sent to Minneapolis and Chicago.

The massive deployment of federal officers to both cities has roiled the Midwest in recent weeks, following a series of high-profile and violent incidents involving immigration agents. The lawsuits come just days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis.

“This has to stop,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a press conference Monday announcing the state’s lawsuit. “We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law.”

“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities,” Ellison continued, arguing that DHS’ presence in Minnesota has “done our state serious harm.”

Illinois also announced Monday evening that it had filed a similar lawsuit, along with the city of Chicago, against the Trump administration and DHS for its “organized bombardment” that has created “a climate of fear” for residents of the Windy City.

In the more than 100-page lawsuit, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the administration’s deployment of federal law enforcement to the state “is intended to coerce Plaintiffs to abandon their policies, which value and respect the State's immigrants, and devote their resources to further the immigration policies of the current administration. Illinois and Chicago have refused to do so.”

Since the start of what the administration has dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz” last fall, federal immigration officials in the state have arrested more than 3,000 individuals, many lacking a criminal record.

“Border Patrol’s incursion into Illinois and its unlawful, unauthorized, violent, and arbitrary conduct is intended to intimidate and frighten Plaintiffs’ residents by disregarding their privacy, ignoring the security of their homes and property, and threatening their freedom and physical well-being,” the lawsuit stated.

Both Illinois’ and Minnesota’s lawsuits claim that the federal deployments violated state sovereignty under the Constitution’s 10th Amendment.

DHS has reportedly dispatched 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota, one of the largest mobilizations in DHS history.

The state has attracted scrutiny from the Trump administration following a welfare fraud scandal in which more than 50 individuals, many of them Somali nationals, are accused of stealing $1 billion in taxpayer funds distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic for social programs.

President Donald Trump has latched onto the scandal, calling Somalis “garbage” and increasing attacks against the state’s lone Somali lawmaker, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Minnesota officials, however, said the deployment of federal officers, called “Operation Metro Surge” by the administration, has done nothing to stop similar cases of fraud and instead inflamed tensions and created fear.

“We work with the federal government all the time, and if the federal government wants to help us with forensic accountants, we’re open to that conversation, but these ICE agents, who are engaging in the behavior they are engaged in, are not helping public safety at all,” Ellison said in response to the fraud allegations.

The attorney general said since DHS began its presence in the state, local law enforcement has responded to at least 20 reports detailing controversial and potentially illegal tactics, including the use of unmarked vehicles and masked agents apprehending people off the street.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Monday’s lawsuit is necessary considering the extreme tactics being utilized by DHS.

“The scale is widely disproportionate and has nothing to do with keeping people safe,” Frey said at the press conference.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/trump-white-house/democratic-attorneys-general-lawsuit-hhs-funding-cuts Adora Brown The attorneys general of New York, Minnesota, Colorado, California and Illinois filed a lawsuit to block the administration from pausing the funds. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:41:38 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/trump-white-house/democratic-attorneys-general-lawsuit-hhs-funding-cuts Democratic attorneys general from New York, Minnesota, Colorado, California and Illinois say the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it froze state welfare funds, a move they say was vindictive and unjustified.

The five states filed a lawsuit on Thursday asking the courts to reverse a $10 billion funding freeze announced earlier this week.

“This unlawful funding freeze is about one thing: punishing Democratic states that oppose the president,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a joint press conference with the other attorneys general on Friday.

Between Monday and Tuesday, the states received letters from a Department of Health and Human Services official saying the administration would pause money for three different programs: the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Social Services Block Grant. These programs support parents who need child care services, domestic abuse survivors, senior citizens, people with disabilities and more.

The letters from Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex Adams said federal officials were concerned about “the potential for extensive and systemic fraud” and believed the states are “illicitly providing illegal aliens with TANF benefits intended for American citizens and lawful permanent residents.” The letters do not provide proof for any of these claims.

The Trump administration asked the five states to turn over “the complete universe” of documents relating to ACF funding by Jan. 20, a task that the plaintiffs find both impossible within the time constraint and indicative of the administration’s lack of proof.

“They’ve come to the conclusion first and looked at the documents second,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at the press conference on Friday.

The state attorneys general’s suit says the administration violated Article I of the Constitution by freezing congressionally appropriated funds without its support.

The attorneys general said that under more typical circumstances, states work with federal agencies and inspectors general to solve issues of fraud rather than cutting funding from the programs as a whole.

“If the president was serious about rooting out fraud, his administration would be investing more resources in partnering with states and supporting states’ efforts to root out fraud and abuse,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

The end of funding, Raoul said, is “fairly imminent,” though he could not provide a specific date as to when funding will freeze.

More than 70 Democratic lawmakers from the five states affected by the freeze echoed similar beliefs that the funding cuts are unjust in a letter to HHS on Friday.

The HHS funding freeze comes after the Trump administration ramped up its criticism of how Minnesota officials handled social services fraud allegations. But attorneys general from New York, Colorado, California and Illinois said the Trump administration has provided no proof of fraud in their states.

Mississippi, where a former professional wrestler is on trial for his alleged role in a $77 million welfare fraud case, was not included in this week’s funding freeze.

The ACF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NOTUS about whether the administration has the power to freeze funding or if they had proof of fraud from California, Illinois, Colorado or New York.]]>