Democratic congressional hopefuls Daniel Biss and Kat Abughazaleh were photographed sitting shoulder-to-shoulder over drinks at a storied Chicago cocktail bar, just weeks before they are slated to battle each other in a contentious Democratic primary.
The images, which circulated widely on X, show Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, and Abughazaleh, a left-wing social media personality, appearing relaxed and familiar at Uptowns Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. According to the Daily Caller, the two are among 15 Democrats vying to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, in Illinois 9th Congressional District, where a crowded primary is scheduled for March 17.
In the photos, Biss who is married and has two children is seated closely beside Abughazaleh, who is more than two decades younger, in a booth at the century-old bar with what appear to be multiple alcoholic drinks on the table. One image shows Biss smiling and raising a glass toward Abughazaleh, while another captures him leaning in with his head tilted toward the younger candidate, leaving only inches between them.
Pressed for comment on the optics of the encounter, Biss campaign did not issue its own statement but instead pointed reporters to an X post by Axios journalist Justin Kaufmann. Ha! These photos were taken about 20 minutes after the 9th Congressional Democratic Primary debate ended (which I moderated), Kaufmann wrote, adding, Thats me (the bald guy on the other side). Yes, it was cozy. Have you ever sat in a #GreenMill booth?
Kaufmann sought to tamp down speculation by insisting nothing untoward occurred at the bar. There is nothing inappropriate going on. Jeez, he concluded, attempting to frame the moment as an innocuous post-debate gathering rather than a political liability.
Abughazalehs campaign did not respond to questions about the photos, nor did the campaign of state Sen. Laura Fine, another top contender in the race. The Green Mill also declined to answer inquiries, leaving the public to draw its own conclusions about the candidates judgment and the blurred lines between personal camaraderie and political rivalry.
Polling suggests Biss currently holds the advantage in the left-leaning district, with Abughazaleh jockeying for position in the second tier. A February Impact Research survey commissioned by Biss campaign found him leading with 31% support, while Abughazaleh and Fine were tied at 18%, and a January GBAO Strategies poll showed Biss and Fine deadlocked at 21% with Abughazaleh at 14%.
Abughazaleh jumped into the race just weeks before Schakowsky announced she would not seek reelection, signaling an aggressive bid to capitalize on the districts entrenched progressive tilt. Biss, a longtime fixture in Illinois Democratic politics, entered only after Schakowskys retirement became official, positioning himself as the institutional favorite in a district that has not elected a Republican since 1949.
The 9th District is among the safest Democratic seats in the country, with former Vice President Kamala Harris carrying it by 37 points in the 2024 presidential election. That partisan reality has pushed the primary even further left, as candidates compete to outflank one another on issues like immigration enforcement and border security.
Both Biss and Abughazaleh proudly brand themselves as progressive Democrats and have made opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a central plank of their campaigns. Their rhetoric and activism underscore a broader trend within the Democratic Party, where the loudest voices increasingly favor undermining or dismantling federal immigration enforcement rather than strengthening the rule of law.
Abughazaleh has already drawn national attention for her confrontational tactics against ICE. She was indicted by a grand jury, along with five others, for allegedly blocking law enforcement vehicles outside an ICE facility in September 2025, and later walked out of an interview with journalist Tara Palmeri after Palmeri played a video of the Gen Z candidate banging on a federal law enforcement vehicle during that same incident.
Biss, for his part, has boasted about personally monitoring ICE activity in his city. He told CNN in September 2025 that when ICE comes to Evanston, he gets a text, explaining, Im able to go immediately to the location, share rights that individuals have with them, and inform them of their rights. Videotape, bear witness, hold ICE officials accountable, he told CNNs Erin Burnett at the time.
Despite their similar ideological posture, Biss has managed to consolidate more of the progressive establishment behind him. He secured the endorsement of the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC in November 2025, a notable snub to Abughazaleh given her activist credentials and online following.
Abughazalehs professional background includes work as a video content creator for Media Matters for America, a left-wing media watchdog organization known for targeting conservative outlets and personalities. The 26-year-old candidate also faced criticism in January after she attributed her failure to attend a candidate forum hosted by a local Indivisible chapter to narcolepsy, a condition she says causes sleep attacks, raising questions about her reliability and readiness for the demands of federal office.
For voters in Illinois 9th District, the viral barroom snapshots add another layer to an already chaotic primary defined by ideological one-upmanship on the far left. With public safety, border enforcement and basic political seriousness on the line, the episode at the Green Mill may serve less as a scandal than as a revealing glimpse into the priorities and temperament of two leading contenders in a race where the real competition is not with Republicans, but with reality itself.
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