Bruce Leon dropping out of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District race

A candidate in the Democratic primary to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky said Tuesday he plans to withdraw from the race following a pressure campaign from AIPAC, an influential but controversial pro-Israel lobbying organization.

The development appears to be a boon for Sen. Laura Fine, another Democratic candidate who supports Israel and appears to have received tacit support from the interest group.

Bruce Leon, an Orthodox Jew and staunch supporter of Israel, said the U.S. Israel Public Affairs Committee pressured him for months to drop out of the 9th Congressional District race to shore up support for Fine, who enjoys broader support and has been endorsed by dozens of Democratic leaders in the district. AIPAC’s push was previously reported by news outlet Evanston Now.

The final straw for Leon came this week, after AIPAC successfully pressured leaders of its own Orthodox Jewish community to sideline him as well, Leon told the Tribune.

“AIPAC put pressure on the rabbis,” Leon, who said he previously donated thousands of dollars each year to the organization, said this week.

The 9th District seat on the North Side and North Suburbs has long been held in Congress by Jewish representatives. Before Schakowsky, who is Jewish, was elected in 1998, the district was represented by the late Democratic U.S. Rep. Sidney Yates, who was also Jewish, for nearly five decades. However, changing demographics, redistricting and next year’s open primary could change that.

AIPAC sent fundraising messages in support of Fine, and she received tens of thousands of dollars from AIPAC-aligned donors.

Yet this week, Fine continued to say she did not seek approval from the controversial group.

When asked repeatedly Monday whether her campaign had been in contact with AIPAC and what she thought of the organization, Fine did not respond directly.

“I’m a proud Jewish woman who supports Israel and I’m co-chair of the Jewish caucus in the Illinois Senate, so it’s no surprise to me that people are bringing us together, because I’m a pro-Israel Jewish woman,” she said.

Fine added that she believes people support her based on her legislative record, which includes measures to improve health care affordability.

Asked if she would recognize AIPAC’s political maneuverings that appeared to be to her advantage, Fine replied, “I have no idea, because I have no control over what they do.” »

AIPAC’s fundraising arm is the nation’s largest pro-Israel political action committee and one of the most powerful on any issue in the country. AIPAC is pushing its allies in Congress to support Israel’s interests, including through continued military assistance that has come under scrutiny during Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

AIPAC has also been criticized by progressive Democrats who point out that Republican donors helped fund AIPAC’s efforts to elect Israel’s allies.

The organization fears a victory in the Democratic congressional district primary for either Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss or commentator Kat Abughazaleh, two progressives in the race who have been more critical of the Israeli government, Leon said.

This week, a “rabbinic edict was communicated to Leon” from senior local Orthodox Jewish leaders asking him to drop out of the race “due to community safety concerns highlighted by two weeks of lobbying by high-level AIPAC leaders,” according to an email from Leon’s campaign.

Anti-Semitic violence has been an ongoing concern for Jewish leaders, particularly since the October 7 attack. Leon said he believed AIPAC was associating concerns about anti-Semitic violence with the Democratic primary, suggesting to Orthodox leaders that a victory by a candidate who is not aligned with AIPAC’s interests could incite an increase in anti-Semitism.

AIPAC also said a progressive victory in Illinois’ relatively early primary could trigger a domino effect and more victories for progressive primary candidates throughout 2026, Leon said.

AIPAC representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Biss, who is Jewish and whose mother grew up in Israel, has been endorsed by J-Street, a more liberal pro-Israel group than AIPAC. Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old political commentator who rose to prominence through social media, is Palestinian and has criticized Israeli attacks against Palestinians.

With more than a dozen other candidates competing across the Democratic political spectrum, even a relatively small coalition could win the nomination in the dark blue district.

In Fine, AIPAC could see “an opportunity to fend off what was a formidable opponent in Jan Schakowsky,” who represented the district for decades, said Joshua Shanes, a longtime north suburban resident and now a professor of Jewish history at the University of California-Davis. Schakowsky describes herself as a supporter of Israel but is sometimes critical of its government.

Steve Sheffey, a former district resident who now writes a newsletter called “Pro-Israel Political Update,” says consolidating pro-Israel support around Fine would be a mistake. Sheffey – who identifies as progressive and supports Biss – said he thinks Biss “is fantastic for Israel,” singling out Israel itself and its current government.

“They shouldn’t get involved in this race,” Sheffey said of AIPAC. “There are so many races in this country that should mean so much more to them.”

Leon said he didn’t think it was an option to fight the group of local rabbis who were hunting him, because he didn’t want to cause division within his community. He plans to announce his support for a “coalition” on Monday, he said.

“I’m not a rebel here,” Leon said. “Maybe a bit of a martyr, but not a rebel.”