U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) endorsed Mayor Daniel Biss in the crowded race to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District on Thursday.

“We need fighters in Washington who will push back against Donald Trump and his harmful agenda, and that’s just what Daniel Biss will do,” Duckworth wrote in a news release from the mayor’s campaign Thursday morning.

Duckworth joins U.S. Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Chicago), Sean Casten (D-Downers Grove) and Bill Foster (D-Naperville) in backing Biss, making him the only candidate to have garnered support from multiple members of Illinois’ congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) endorsed Biss as her successor in January.

Duckworth is the second U.S. senator to weigh in on the race, following U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who endorsed Biss in July.

“Whether it was facing down Greg Bovino in the street, working to lower housing costs in Evanston or championing abortion protections in the statehouse, Daniel has consistently shown the courage and conviction to fight for our values and deliver real results,” Duckworth wrote.

In the news release, Biss wrote he was looking forward to working with Duckworth and other Democrats to pass legislation that “strengthens the middle class and begins to repair the damage Trump has done to our nation.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Highland Park), who represents the neighboring 10th Congressional District, backed State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) last week.

“I’ve worked with Laura since I first came to Congress, and I’ve seen firsthand how deeply she cares about the people she represents,” Schneider wrote in a Facebook post shared by the Fine campaign last Friday. “She listens, she builds coalitions, and she gets things done.”

Also on Thursday, Justice Democrats, a political action committee that recruits left-wing candidates for Congress, endorsed progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh.

The group’s backing follows an endorsement for Abughazaleh from former U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-New York), an ex-member of “The Squad,” an informal group of Capitol Hill’s most progressive lawmakers. Bowman lost reelection in 2024 after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the country’s largest pro-Israel lobbying group, spent over $14 million boosting his Democratic primary opponent.

Also backing Abughazaleh is the newly formed Peace, Accountability and Leadership PAC, which launched Wednesday with the stated goal of combating AIPAC and electing pro-Palestinian candidates.

In its announcement, PAL PAC endorsed four progressive congressmembers: U.S. Reps. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago). Abughazaleh, who is Palestinian American, is the first non-incumbent the group has supported.

AIPAC’s involvement in the race to replace Schakowsky has generated controversy. While the group has not publicly endorsed Fine, it has fundraised on her behalf, prompting criticism from Biss and Abughazaleh. Several Democratic candidates also released a statement denouncing “organized efforts” to “pressure a fellow Democratic candidate to withdraw from the race” after Chicago 50th Ward Committeeman Bruce Leon faced pressure from AIPAC to drop out of the race. Leon withdrew from the race Jan 13.

In a joint news release with PAL PAC on Thursday morning, Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, took direct aim at AIPAC while boosting Abughazaleh’s progressive credentials.

“In this moment, she is the type of progressive leadership we need in Congress — leadership that isn’t too afraid to take on AIPAC or corporate PACs to defeat right-wing fascism or corporate corruption in the Democratic Party,” Rojas wrote.

The primary election will be held March 17.

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