Chicago 50th Ward Committeeman Bruce Leon, a pro-Israel Democrat, announced he will remain in the race to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District on Thursday evening.
Leon confirmed his plans in an interview with The Daily, reversing his decision to drop out and defying pressure from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the country’s largest pro-Israel lobbying group.
AIPAC reportedly pressured Leon to withdraw from the race in an attempt to boost State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), whom an unnamed “mediator” between the lobbying group and Leon’s campaign allegedly called “a pro-Israel candidate with a real path to victory” in a Thursday text message reviewed by The Daily.
On Dec. 30, Leon told the Chicago Tribune that AIPAC had successfully pressured leaders from his Orthodox Jewish community to retract their endorsements of his campaign, and in an email to supporters the next morning, Leon agreed to “temporarily suspend” it, citing “tremendous political pressure from Washington D.C. interests.”
But as the deadline to officially remove his name from the March 17 Democratic primary ballot passed Thursday, Leon revived his candidacy, following “negotiations” with AIPAC officials, he said.
“I feel like my community’s making a mistake — to buy this AIPAC narrative that she’s the only woman that has a chance to win and therefore you have to join forces with her,” Leon said.
Also in the text message, the “mediator” allegedly suggested the “whole community will love” Leon if he dropped out and endorsed Fine. They warned he would “sadly” be blamed for “splitting the vote” if he stayed in the race and either Mayor Daniel Biss or progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh — both of whom have criticized the Israeli government — were to win.
Leon claimed AIPAC first began pressuring him to end his campaign in July, the same month he launched it.
AIPAC has not publicly endorsed Fine, but it has reportedly sent two fundraising emails on her behalf, including one labeling Biss and Abughazaleh “dangerous detractors.” In October, the Fine campaign told the Loyola Phoenix that she was not seeking an endorsement from AIPAC “or any Jewish organization.”
On Thursday, Leon suggested AIPAC might spend another $4 to $5 million on the 17-candidate primary race.
AIPAC did not respond to The Daily’s request for comment on Leon’s statements.
During this week’s negotiations, Leon said he placed three conditions on his potential withdrawal: increased transparency about the lobbying group’s involvement in the race; an end to Fine’s campaign to become the 9th District’s state central committeeperson, an obscure position that helps govern the state’s Democratic Party; and two debates between Biss, Fine and former FBI negotiator Phil Andrew.
These conditions were not met, he said.
In an email to The Daily, when asked whether she was aware of AIPAC’s alleged communication with Leon’s campaign, Fine’s spokesperson wrote that her campaign is “not aware of, or interested in, any discussions between outside groups and other campaigns.”
“Senator Fine’s sole focus is talking to voters about what’s keeping them up at night, and her record standing up to special interests and the insurance companies that won’t hesitate to bankrupt families to pad their bottom line,” the spokesperson wrote.
On Tuesday afternoon, several of Fine’s Democratic primary opponents released a joint statement condemning “organized efforts” seeking “to pressure a fellow Democratic candidate to withdraw from the race.” Signatories included Biss, Abughazaleh, Skokie school board member Bushra Amiwala and Leon himself, who told The Daily the letter was “a kind gesture.”
Following his announcement on Thursday, Biss applauded Leon for “standing strong” in an X post.
“Bruce and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, but our election should be decided by the voters of the 9th District — not out-of-state PACs,” the mayor wrote.
Biss, who is Jewish and whose mother is Israeli, has been critical of the country’s actions during the Israel-Hamas War. In August, he called for the United States to recognize a Palestinian state — a move Leon said “went too far.”
But Leon explained he believes there is a distinction between those critical of Israel and candidates who argue the country doesn’t have a right to exist or exists on “stolen land.”
“Obviously, he’s very critical of Israel, but so are many Israelis,” Leon said.
Leon said AIPAC’s “big issue” was concerns about the safety of the district’s Jewish community if Biss or Abughazaleh were sent to Congress. He squarely rejected their alleged suggestions that either scenario could endanger residents.
Local Rabbis Andrea London of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue and Rachel Weiss of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation agreed, writing that “to suggest that electing Daniel Biss to Congress would somehow make the local Jewish community unsafe is a disgraceful smear” in a Tuesday letter published by the Evanston RoundTable.
Leon said he spoke with Biss last week in a conversation arranged by one of the mayor’s supporters and added Biss was “very hurt” by AIPAC’s assertions.
“He wanted me to hear from Daniel that he was upset, and he wanted me to know that, should he become the congressman, he will work hard to make sure the Jewish community is safe,” Leon said. “That’s very important to him.”
Leon emphasized antisemitism is a rising threat, noting a recent terror attack at an Australian beach, the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. last year and the shooting of a Jewish man in West Rogers Park in 2024.
As a result, he said his community is on “high alert” but rejected any suggestion that Abughazaleh, who is Palestinian, poses a threat.
“I want to make it clear. I know Kat,” Leon said. “She is not promoting violence.”
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