Politics

Progressive Media Star Kat Abughazaleh Raised $378K for Congressional Campaign. Only a Small Fraction Came From Local Voters: Analysis

Progressive media star Kat Abughazaleh has raised more than $378,000 to fuel her bid to oust U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, but only a fraction of that massive haul came from residents of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, according to a WTTW News analysis.

Abughazaleh, 26, who rose to prominence by making lively TikTok videos critiquing Fox News and Republicans, out raised Schakowsky, 80, during the first quarter of the year, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission reflecting contributions between Jan. 1 and April 1.

Schakowsky, who has represented the district since 1999, raised approximately $213,000, about 57% of Abughazaleh’s total, records show. Schakowsky has not yet announced whether she plans to run for a 15th term in office, while Abughazaleh has been a Chicagoan for less than a year and does not live in the district she wants to represent in Congress.

Despite Abughazaleh’s fundraising prowess, her first campaign finance report includes new evidence that she is likely to face an uphill battle to convince residents of the congressional district that stretches from Chicago’s North Side through northwest Cook County to southwest Lake County and southeast McHenry County to elect her to Congress.

Abughazaleh’s campaign reported just $3,250 in contributions of more than $200 from people who live in the 9th Congressional District, less than 1% of the total amount raised by the campaign, federal records show.

In all, just 17 Illinois residents gave Abughazaleh’s campaign $19,776 in contributions of more than $200, approximately 5.2% of the total amount raised by the campaign, federal records show.

Despite that, Abughazaleh said in a statement that she was “awestruck over the outpouring of support from across the country and, more importantly, within the Ninth District for this campaign.”

Federal regulations require candidates for federal office to record the amount of every contribution, the date it was received and the name and address of the source. However, candidates must identify the occupation and employer of everyone who contributes more than $200 during a calendar year.

WTTW News examined all of the contributions itemized by the Abughazaleh campaign. Those 218 contributions totaled more than $148,000, according to the analysis.

Sam Weinberg, Abughazaleh’s campaign manager, told WTTW News the campaign received more than 1,100 donations from Illinoisans, the vast majority totaling less than $200. That reflects the “economic struggles we’re facing that Kat and her candidacy are seeking to address.”

“The average American can’t spare $200 or more to donate to a political campaign, and we shouldn’t fault people for that,” Weinberg said. “This is the result of an economy that is working for the few rather than the many and this dynamic should be entirely unacceptable in the richest country in the history of the world.”

Abughazaleh’s campaign reported 11,213 contributions, with an average value of $34, Weinberg said. If Illinois residents made 1,100 contributions at that level, it would account for less than 10% of the total amount raised by Abughazaleh’s campaign.

Weinberg could not immediately provide records documenting that those contributions totaling less than $200 were made by Illinois residents, nor could he tell WTTW News how many came from residents of the 9th Congressional District.

“Kat has been inspired daily by the outpouring of support from constituents all across the Ninth District,” Weinberg said. “Kat’s candidacy and platform recognize that the national has become the local, and vice versa.”

The median House incumbent received more than 57% of their contributions from their home state in 2023 and 2024, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks money in politics.

Headed into a potential reelection campaign, Schakowsky has more than $877,400 in cash on hand, as compared with Abughazaleh, who has more than $363,600 on hand, according to federal records.

If Schakowsky does not run for reelection, a number of veteran candidates with deep ties to the city’s North Side and Evanston are expected to join the contest that Abughazaleh has vowed to see through to the end.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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