A New Generation of Arab-American Politicians: Kat Abughazaleh

posted on: Jan 21, 2026

By: Robert Jackson / Arab America Contributing Writer

Across the country, a new wave of Arab-American leaders is rising. This series explores their stories, motivations, and the futures they are working to build.

A new generation of Arab-American politicians is emerging, among them Kat Abughazaleh. The 26-year-old journalist-turned-democratic-primary-candidate for Illinois’s 9th congressional district is making waves. As a digital native, she has been extremely active online, promoting progressive politics and vocally opposing right-wing personalities. As the first part in a series of articles covering new Arab-American politicians, Arab America sits down with Kat, covering her campaign, Palestinian heritage, and her own identity. 

Resistance Politics

Kat is certainly a progressive candidate. Before her political career began, she had already criticized figures like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk as a journalist. She was laid off from her job at Media Matters after her employer faced legal action from Mr. Musk. Running on an anti-authoritarian and affordability platform, she is focused on confronting the Trump Administration much more directly than other candidates. Her clashes with the administration have been well documented. She has been thrown to the ground multiple times by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers and indicted by the Department of Justice for allegedly assaulting and conspiring to injure law enforcement at protests at an ICE facility in Illinois. 

During our interview, Kat said she would continue to fight against authoritarianism in Congress. Whether by working with small-government Republicans to shrink Border Patrol’s jurisdiction, or by slowing proceedings in Congress by raising points of order. When asked about what she would say to those who criticize her for a perceived lack of experience, she responded,

“My experience is fighting against fascists, the exact fascists that now run our country.”

Affordability Agenda

Kat’s second priority is affordability. Focusing on wealth disparity, she supports higher taxes on billionaires and corporations, raising the minimum wage to $25 per hour, and much more.

Although the election isn’t over, that hasn’t stopped Kat from helping her community. Her work has allowed her to connect with people from all walks of life in the northern suburbs of Chicago. She has used campaign funds to help those less fortunate gain access to essentials. Her office provides clothing, food, school supplies, and Narcan. When we asked about the hardest part of the campaign, she said it was not being rich.

“I have completely depleted my savings, I’ve gone into debt, my job is a conflict of interest, so I couldn’t even work if I wanted to.”

To Kat, making running for office more accessible is deeply important.

“I think we need public funding of elections first off,” which would eliminate the need for “call time.”

Anti-AIPAC Stance

Kat has been a vocal critic of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) for a long time. In one of her most recent YouTube videos, published January 12th, she declared “F*ck AIPAC Week.” She supported an opponent, Bruce Leon, in his decision to stay in the primary race after he came under pressure from AIPAC to drop out. Despite being a pro-Israel Democrat, AIPAC didn’t think Mr. Leon could win. When we asked Kat about this, she told us that even though she disagreed with him on many issues, including Palestine, he had done the work and earned a spot on the ballot. She told us that respect for the democratic process was the main reason she supported Mr. Leon’s decision not to give in to AIPAC’s pressure. As it turned out, during the interview, it was announced that Mr. Leon would drop out of the primary anyway. 

Arab Heritage

Kat’s heritage was an important part of her journey, but not the only part. When she was growing up, she was moderately conservative; her parents, she described as “Reagan republicans.” It was only after being exposed to a new environment, when her family moved from Texas to Arizona, that her opinions changed.

Kat learned a lot from her family. She said the most valuable lesson she learned when she was younger was while playing backgammon with her Palestinian grandfather. To her, the strategy and the social component of the game made it a great experience and made for fond memories. Kat also shares a special relationship with her grandmother. As the only one in the family to know her grandmother’s secret Baklava recipe, it is one of Kat’s favorite dishes, even helping her lower tensions in meetings.

Kat the Person

Getting the chance to talk with Kat exposed me to a side of her that you find beyond her campaign content. As a self-described dork, being anxious watching Marty Supreme, you’d be surprised how resolute she is about helping people.

“Every civilian deserves safety, no child should go to bed hungry, war criminals should be held accountable no matter what flag they’re under, and … we need Palestinian statehood.”

She is definitely a part of a new generation of politicians. Unwilling to compromise her values, willing to make a change.

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