Kat Abughazaleh, professionally known as Kat Abu, is an American journalist, social media influencer, and political commentator. A progressive Democrat, she gained prominence for her media criticism while working at Media Matters for America and her writing has been featured in publications like Mother Jones and The New Republic. She is currently a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois's 9th congressional district for the 2026 election.
Her notability stems from her rapid rise as a political commentator and her transition into electoral politics. Her early career was marked by viral criticism of prominent conservative media figures, which established her as a significant voice in progressive online circles.
Recently, Abughazaleh has been in the news due to a series of contentious developments in her congressional campaign. This includes a public confrontation where her Republican opponent presented her with a prison-themed gift bag at a candidate forum, an incident covered by multiple news outlets. Furthermore, her candidacy has faced legal challenges, including a report that she has pleaded not guilty to federal charges and is confronting a separate challenge to her eligibility to be on the ballot.
Latest related news
- Republican gives ‘prison care package’ with holy water to ‘possessed’ Dem opponent - The Independent 2025-11-19 01:29 · The Independent
- Republican congressional candidate confronts Democratic rival with prison-themed gift bag at event - Daily Herald 2025-11-18 02:10 · Daily Herald
- Across party lines, prison gift bag confrontation disrupts quiet candidate forum - The Daily Northwestern 2025-11-17 18:31 · The Daily Northwestern
- Abughazaleh Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges, Gets Support From Opponent - Journal & Topics 2025-11-15 06:49 · Journal & Topics
- Abughazaleh’s Candidacy Challenged By Former Schakowsky Opponent - Journal & Topics 2025-11-15 06:27 · Journal & Topics
- Kat Abughazaleh, 5 others plead not guilty to federal charges from Broadview protest - MSN 2025-11-14 23:05 · MSN
- Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, 5 others plead not guilty in Broadview protest case - MSN 2025-11-14 02:23 · MSN
- Kat Abughazaleh, five co-defendants plead not guilty for actions tied to Broadview ICE facility protest - The Daily Northwestern 2025-11-13 19:05 · The Daily Northwestern
- Trump 'tried to scare us': Chicago congressional candidate pleads not guilty in Blitz arrest - USA Today 2025-11-13 12:09 · USA Today
- ‘Broadview Six’ plead not guilty to charges of ‘impeding’ agents outside ICE facility - Capitol News Illinois 2025-11-13 11:47 · Capitol News Illinois