Chicago’s Labor Democrats Are Stuck in the (AIPAC) Past

With only a few days left before Illinois’ primary elections on March 17^th, the bitter, often nasty campaigns to succeed prominent members of the state’s Congressional delegation, notably four term Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Danny Davis, and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia are must watch T.V . Most of the old faces are retiring from political office, while Rep. Robin L. Kelly is running to replace Durbin, setting off another rancorous campaign with ten candidates vying to replace her. There are fifteen candidates competing to replace Schakowsky in the Democratic primary.

All of these Congressional seats were considered safe for the Democratic establishment in the last election cycle, and while there is little prospect of any Republican winning them, widespread discontent with the party leadership and burgeoning grassroots opposition to Trump’s policies in Gaza, the ICE terror, and the affordability crisis are producing the most competitive contests in a long time. Almost all of the Democratic candidates are trying to outdo one another, attacking their opponents for receiving money from AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—which would have been impossible to think of just a few years ago—ICE contractors, and Corporate PACs.

It’s the campaign contributions from a variety of pro-Israel groups, in many cases masked versions of AIPAC, that is particularly significant. Last year, Mondoweiss, one of the vital resources for pro-Palestine news and analysis, reported:

“Something has definitely changed recently, and it’s clearly because of Gaza,” Eli Clifton [a senior advisor and investigative journalist at Responsible Statecraft] told Mondoweiss. “Mainstream media has not covered it to the degree they should be, but people see it on their phones, they see it on social media. This has been one atrocity after another,” he added. “It’s a genocide and the Israelis and the United States have been unable to conceal it.”

The AIPAC connection in Illinois has become so politically toxic that even Jan Schakowsky, once a stalwart supporter of Israel, who over the last decade has become a consistent critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war in Gaza, recently withdrew her support of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller to succeed her in the 9^th Congressional district. “Illinois deserves leaders who put voters first, not AIPAC or out-of-state Trump donors,” Schakowsky said. Then she just as quickly endorsed Evanston Mayor Daniel Bliss, one of the most bland products of the Democratic Party. “That is one of the many reasons I am supporting Daniel Biss in IL-09. Daniel will always put Illinois families ahead of outside influence.”

But, not all is what it appears to be with Biss. While he’s sworn off taking AIPAC money and, along with three other Congressional candidates, called for it to stay out of the Congressional races, Biss, according to the Track AIPAC website, has received $288, 272 in campaign donations from pro-Israel lobby groups and mega-donors. Track AIPAC says its mission as “to reveal and counter the influence of AIPAC and the Israel lobby by systematically documenting their financial contributions to our federal officials.”  It’s cataloging of pro-Israel money in national politics is a wonder to behold.

It is one of the reasons that AIPAC has been forced to hide behind such neutral-sounding groups, like Affordable Chicago Now, Elect Chicago Women, and the United Democracy Project, that say little about the Middle East but emphasize fighting Trump and the cost of living. A joint investigation between the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, revealed:

The AIPAC-linked candidates — all Democrats — include Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd District, Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the 7th, former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th and state Sen. Laura Fine in the 9th. AIPAC is supporting them in two main ways. The first is steering AIPAC donors to the candidates through online fundraisers, in-person events and email solicitations.

Laurie Fine was caught outright lying in a televised debate about AIPAC-linked donations to her campaign. The only leading candidate in the crowded field that hasn’t received a dime from any pro-Israel lobby groups, dark money independent expenditures, or mega-donors is Kat Abughazaleh, the only Palestinian running in the 9^th District. Kat’s campaign is refreshing for the unrelenting exposure of her rivals, as well as releasing a very funny attack ad on herself. Her opponents have tried to dismiss as a “YouTube influencer,” but she worked as a SEIU union representative and journalist in the past. Her family history is deeply rooted in the Palestinian diaspora.

Who are the unions supporting?

I’ve written over the past few years about the role of the Teamsters in Chicago election campaigns; those articles are available here and here. I’ll look at the Teamsters, but I want to start with other Chicago-based unions that have a progressive reputation and many, though not all, passed ceasefire resolutions in the early days of the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. Several, most prominently the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), also played a key role in securing passage of a ceasefire resolution by the Chicago City Council.

Trade unions are very predictable in their political endorsements. They tend to endorse incumbents, especially those who sit on and chair important committees in Congress. In this primary election, the unions are acting in a largely predictable manner, but which, unfortunately, undermines, if not outright contradicts, resolutions passed over the last few years that expressed solidarity with Palestine, specifically calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. An old friend, a longtime activist in the Chicago labor movement, told me:

Union positions have officially changed dramatically on Israel and Gaza over the past couple of years, but the political expression of that change is almost nonexistent. Union leadership continues to play the inside game of who is scratching whose back. For CTU to endorse Biss is obscene given his history on union pensions and pro-business policies as Evanston’s Mayor, for example his position on Northwestern expansion.

The CTU is the best-known local progressive union in the city and earned an international reputation for several strikes it led during the 2010s. Looking at its endorsements in the Illinois Democratic primary for Congress, it’s frustrating to see that three out of four receive pro-Israel campaign contributions and political action committees, according to Track AIPAC and the joint Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ report. This includes Jonathan Jackson, the incumbent Democrat for District 1, Melissa Conyears Ervin for District 7, and Daniel Biss for District 9.

Meanwhile, the CTU has also endorsed Rep. Delia Ramirez for District 3, and refreshingly, she doesn’t receive any pro-Israel campaign contributions, according to Track AIPAC. Ramirez is also a supporter of the “Block the Bombs Act,” which would limit arms sales to Israel, however, that is inadequate from a Palestinian perspective. The Palestinian Trade Union movement appealed to U.S. trade unions and their supporters last year: “we call on you to translate your solidarity into effective actions that go beyond statements and speeches and create real pressure to stop this dirty war.” This is not an appeal to limit weapons or make a false distinction between offensive and defensive weapons, but to end arms shipments .

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 73 is another prominent progressive union in Chicago, a membership made up significantly of workers of color. It recently won the right to represent over 11,000 Chicago Public School employees, the so-called “miscellaneous” workers. It was a big victory for SEIU 73. At SEIU’s national convention in 2024, it passed a ceasefire resolution, where it declared:

We cannot lose sight of our values. If we fail to act now, we are complicit. As North America’s largest service and care union, we have a responsibility to use our collective power to confront violence and injustice everywhere.

So, despite these high-minded words, it’s frustrating to see that SEIU 73 has endorsed for Congress many candidates, almost entirely incumbents, who have received enormous support from pro-Israel lobbying groups and Mega donors throughout their careers, according to Track AIPAC. This is includes: Mike Quigley (District 5) $634, 873; Sean Casten (District 6) $1,493,042; Brad Schneider (District 10) $6, 670, 540; Bill Foster (District 11) $2,054, 410; Lauren Underwood (District 14) $1, 370, 152; Eric Sorenson (D-17) $1,030, 989; Nikki Budzinki (District 13) $879, 942); Daniel Biss (District 9) $288, 272; and Illinois Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton, who is running to succeed Dick Durbin, $248,219.

The National Nurses United (NNU) represents nurses at some of the most important healthcare facilities in Chicago. Back in January 2024, In These Times reported:

Labor unions in the city, including members of the Chicago Teachers Union, United Auto Workers (UAW), National Nurses United (NNU) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), held a press conference on Monday supporting the ceasefire resolution. SEIU, the UAW and the NNU are among national labor unions that have voiced support for a ceasefire and an end to violence in the region, in what Carl Rosen, general president of United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, called ​“the biggest expression for peace by the labor movement in a full generation.”

The resolution passed with a tie breaking vote from Mayor Brandon Johnson. So, it’s frustrating to see that NNU is endorsing Daniel Biss. “Daniel will bring his decades of experience into the halls of Congress to fight for guaranteed health care, immigrant justice, and an economy that benefits working people,” said Mary Turner, RN and NNU President. That’s a little hard to take given that when he ran for Governor in 2017, he pledged to cut public sector pensions. Bliss also quickly dumped his running mate after Carlos Ramierez Rosa’s support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement was made public in 2017.”

It is worth noting that NNU’s endorsement of Patty Garcia (District 4) is also troubling, because she is the only candidate on the ballot due to a last minute switcheroo by her retiring boss Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. This attempt to rig the primary has enraged many people, leading Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, endorsed by the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and Ed Hershey of the Working Class Party to challenge her in the November general election.

The Illinois Nurses Association (INA) is the only union supporting Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign. She is also the only leading candidate that has brought up the undemocratic process that too many unions have to endorse political candidates. During a televised debate, Kat left Biss confused and stumbling when she confronted him with this.

Chicago Teamsters

Lastly, the Teamsters got in early endorsing Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “He’s stood with our members on picket lines, he’s gone after powerful corporations that shortchange workers, and he’s championed labor at every step,” Thomas Stiede, president of the Teamsters’ joint council, said of Krishnamoorthi in a statement, reported the Chicago Tribune. The Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents nearly 100,000 members in the Greater Chicago area. Raja also received an endorsement from Teamsters 705 representing 17,000 members, and a personal endorsement from its Secretary-Treasurer, Juan Campos.

The Teamsters by no means have a progressive reputation. Its General President Sean O’Brien is the best-known trade union supporter of President Donald Trump, which has proved disastrous for the labor movement.  Back in December 2023, the Teamsters 705 union meeting had an opportunity to pass a ceasefire resolution, but voted it down. The best the Democrats in the Teamsters could put forward during the 2024 election was endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris, who close association with Israel and the burgeoning genocide in Gaza during her time in office was a major factor in her losing the election.

The Chicago Teamsters endorsement of Raja, whose longstanding ties to pro-Israel groups and Mega donors has been documented by Track AIPAC,  is another disastrous endorsement on top of several by the union for the 2026 election cycle in other states, including endorsing the reelection of Governor Greg Abbott of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy for the U.S. Senate in Ohio. If a union needed another reason to stay clear of Krishnamoorthi, he was also forced to return embarrassing contributions from a major ICE contract. The Chicago Sun-Times reported:

“U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has donated $29,300 — the entirety of campaign contributions from Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar — to immigrant rights groups, his Senate campaign said Wednesday. Krishnamoorthi’s decision came after the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday reported that the congressman, who has raised $24 million for his Senate bid, has accepted more than $90,000 in contributions from key President Donald Trump and MAGA contributors including Sankar. Palantir has a $30 million contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide tools to track self-deportation. The company has been an ICE contractor since 2011.”

Palantir, along with other American-based Tech giants, has been deeply involved in the genocide in Gaza.  Krishnamoorthi also continuously voted to fund ICE and “expressed gratitude” towards ICE officers in a Congressional resolution last year. He has pivoted his commercials to calling for the abolition of “Trump’s ICE,” which many people read as a change in rhetoric to conceal his nefarious political connections, and to using the same slogan as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is expected to run for president.

Will all the sound and fury over pro-Israel lobbying money, shell PACs, and other masked fundraising shenanigans change U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East? Probably not. But, it does represent a sea change, especially among Democratic voters towards Israel and Palestine. I think I can safely say that as long as this growing opposition to America’s relationship with Israel is bottled up in the Democratic Party and its allied trade union, we will find ourselves stuck in place.

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