A high-profile contender for the congressional post now held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky has survived a legal challenge to her candidacy.

Kat Abughazaleh will appear on the March 17, 2026, ballot for the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled Tuesday.

Max Rice, a former congressional candidate from Chicago, had formally objected to Abughazaleh’s candidacy, saying she wasn’t registered to vote at her Chicago address.

Abughazaleh fought back, arguing that Rice’s objection wasn’t legitimate because it didn’t meet several legal requirements. Rice’s brief, handwritten claim didn’t include his residence, for example, nor did it state what he wanted the state board to do about Abughazaleh’s candidacy.

Following recommendations from a hearing officer and its attorney, the elections board on Tuesday unanimously rejected Rice’s objection and certified Abughazaleh for the ballot.

Independently, the Daily Herald on Tuesday confirmed Abughazaleh is registered to vote at her current address.

After the vote, Abughazaleh campaign spokesperson Ramiro Sarmiento said the decision “confirms what we already knew – our campaign followed the rules and earned our place on the ballot.”

“Efforts to remove candidates through procedural objections don’t serve voters,” Sarmiento said. “We are focused on solutions for the 9th District, not on sideshows.”

Rice couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Rice unsuccessfully sought the 9th District seat in 2018 and 2022. He gained attention during the 2022 campaign when he skipped a Daily Herald endorsement interview that was to feature him and Schakowsky and instead sent a political provocateur who crudely insulted Schakowsky before being removed from the session.

Rice now serves as a campaign spokesperson for Rocio Cleveland, a Republican running for the 9th District seat. Cleveland, of Island Lake, repeatedly has antagonized Abughazaleh on social media and in person since they announced their candidacies.

Most recently, Cleveland confronted Abughazaleh at a suburban candidate event last month and gave her a prison-themed gift bag. Abughazaleh is among six people facing charges stemming from a September protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview.

The bag also contained a bottle of what Cleveland claimed was holy water. Cleveland told Abughazaleh, who is Palestinian American, that she needs to be baptized and accused her of being possessed.

Cleveland also has publicly referred to Abughazaleh’s campaign office as “the home of Hezbollah,” a reference to the Lebanese Islamist political party and terrorist group.

The 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. It stretches from Chicago’s North Shore to the Crystal Lake area.

Abughazaleh is among 17 Democrats running to replace Schakowsky, who isn’t seeking reelection after more than 25 years on Capitol Hill. As of this fall, Abughazaleh had raised more campaign donations than any of her rivals, who include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, state Sens. Laura Fine of Glenview and Mike Simmons of Chicago and state Rep. Hoan Huynh of Chicago.

Cleveland is among four Republican candidates in the 9th. The others are John Elleson of Arlington Heights, Mark Su of Chicago and Paul Friedman of Chicago.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251209/us-congress-politics/abughazaleh-survives-petition-challenge-will-remain-in-9th-district-primary/