Daniel Biss and the $31 million blitz: how Israel policy, crypto, and AI are reshaping Illinois primaries
In Illinois, the loudest voices in several Chicago-area Democratic primaries are not always the candidates’ own. daniel biss is among those pulled into a fast-moving contest where Israel policy has become a defining fault line, and where independent spending—some of it difficult to track—has escalated into an unusually large campaign presence. The scale is stark: super PACs had reported more than $31. 4 million in spending through Thursday ahead of Tuesday’s primaries, including more than $6. 1 million for attack ads that are swamping voters.
Israel policy becomes a frontline issue in Illinois Democratic primaries
The primaries are being treated as an early test of pro-Israel political strength in the United States at a moment when Israel’s popularity in the US has hit a historic low. Pro-Israel groups are spending millions of dollars to assert influence amid rising anger toward Israeli policies, with Chicago-area Democratic contests drawing particular attention. Groups linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have emerged as major spenders, while newly formed PACs with generic names—described as sharing vendors with the pro-Israel lobby—have also spent heavily.
In the contest for an open seat vacated by retiring Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, progressive activist Kat Abughazaleh, 26, is running in a crowded race for what is described as a safe Democratic seat. Abughazaleh has openly called Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide. Her most viable opponents are daniel biss, the mayor of Evanston who is described as critical of some Israeli policies and backed by the liberal Zionist group J Street, and State Senator Laura Fine, described as the pro-Israel candidate in the race.
The tactical messaging has been fluid. An AIPAC-linked group initially attacked Biss to support Fine, but pro-Israel groups then focused on Abughazaleh in recent days. In an unusual twist, a group linked to AIPAC ran an advertisement supporting Bushra Amiwala—described as a long-shot candidate fiercely opposed to US aid to Israel—in what was framed as an apparent effort to siphon votes from Abughazaleh and possibly Biss.
Super PAC money surges, and the donor mix expands beyond foreign policy
While Israel policy is a dominant theme, it is not the only force shaping the ad environment. National special interest groups, including deep-pocketed cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence interests, have spent tens of millions of dollars across four hotly contested Democratic congressional primaries in the Chicago area. Through Thursday, super PACs with donors described as hard to track reported more than $31. 4 million in spending, including more than $6. 1 million for attack ads ahead of Tuesday’s primaries.
A review of federal campaign disclosures found that portions from crypto, AI, and pro-Israel groups total $26. 9 million. The magnitude is notable compared with the last time the Chicago area had U. S. House primary races without an incumbent: in 2022, U. S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson’s campaign saw more than $1. 1 million in super PAC support, and U. S. Rep. Delia Ramirez’s bid received a $1. 5 million boost.
Now, individual candidates are seeing far larger sums directed toward their races. The spending has also broadened the storyline: Illinois primaries are no longer only a referendum on intraparty ideology or foreign policy alignment, but also a demonstration of how new sectors attempt to pressure political outcomes with large-scale independent expenditures. In that environment, daniel biss becomes less of a standalone figure and more a case study in how candidates are positioned—and re-positioned—by outside groups seeking to maximize advantage.
What lies beneath: legitimacy, transparency, and the risk of “drowning out” voters
Two overlapping dynamics matter in these races: the content of the message and the structure of the messenger. On content, Israel policy is explicitly framed as a polarizing and increasingly decisive issue for Democratic primary voters. On structure, multiple organizations are described as “dark-money groups” that do not have to reveal funders until after the vote, and as newly formed PACs with generic names that share vendors with established pro-Israel interests.
Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for Justice Democrats, argued that AIPAC is using “covert shell” groups because of Israel’s unpopularity, especially after what he called the “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza. Andrabi also pointed to AIPAC’s election arm operating under the name United Democracy Project, a title that does not reference Israel. His core claim is that rebranding and indirect spending are being used to avoid backlash from Democratic voters who may reject candidates associated with AIPAC.
Campaign-finance watchdog voices stress a related democratic concern. Alisa Kaplan, executive director of Reform for Illinois, said: “There’s nothing wrong with interest groups getting involved in politics. But when some groups can drown out everyone else because of their bottomless pockets … it distorts democracy. ” The observation lands in a cycle where attack ads are described as swamping voters, and where the sources of spending can be difficult to track in real time.
The rules matter: super PACs cannot donate directly to candidates or coordinate with them, but they can spend unlimited sums on their behalf. That creates a parallel campaign that candidates must contend with, even when the spending is hostile or strategically complex—such as boosting a long-shot candidate to affect the distribution of votes in a crowded field.
Ripple effects across Illinois races—and beyond
The spending surge is not confined to one district. In the 7th Congressional District, retiring U. S. Rep. Danny Davis endorsed state Rep. La Shawn Ford, who has faced attack ads tied to a $2. 5 million anti-Ford barrage by FairShake, a super PAC linked to cryptocurrency interests. The ads reference a federal bank fraud case: prosecutors indicted Ford on 17 felony counts in 2012, then dropped those charges in 2014; he pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor tax charge that resulted in probation. Ford said he sent FairShake a cease-and-desist letter that had not been answered and criticized the ads as falsely claiming he was convicted of bank fraud.
FairShake also spent more than $817, 000 on negative ads in the 2nd District attacking state Sen. Robert Peters, a leading candidate to replace U. S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who is running for U. S. Senate. Peters warned that crypto interests could “flood the zone with misinformation” in communities where “crypto is not well-liked, ” particularly in the working-class Black community.
Taken together, the Illinois contests show how multiple, well-funded interests—pro-Israel, cryptocurrency, and AI—can converge on a small set of primaries, creating national-style ad volume in local races. If the tactic proves effective, other states could see similar multi-industry coalitions attempting to shape intraparty outcomes through independent spending campaigns that evolve rapidly as polling, messaging, or miscalculations shift the terrain.
Where the Illinois primaries leave Daniel Biss—and what comes next
The immediate question is not only who wins on Tuesday, but what kind of mandate those winners can plausibly claim after a contest saturated with outside money and strategic advertising. In the open-seat race, daniel biss sits at the intersection of two realities highlighted this cycle: an intraparty conflict over Israel policy and a campaign-finance ecosystem where brands, vendors, and anonymous or delayed-disclosure funding can shape voter perceptions at scale. If these primaries are an early test of influence, the larger test is whether Democratic voters accept the new architecture of persuasion—or begin demanding stricter accountability for who is paying to speak the loudest.
