Meet Bushra Amiwala, a young Muslim American woman vying for Illinois congressional seat

Bushra Amiwala is running in a crowded field to represent a Chicago district in the US House of Representatives.

She spoke with The New Arab about her run for office, what it's like running in the era of Donald Trump, and why she thinks she's ready for Congress.

The 27-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants is running against a growing roster of candidates—at least 15—to fill the seat of veteran Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who will be retiring at the end of her term at the age of 82, in Illinois’ 9th District, one of the most progressive in the country.

"In a Democratic primary election, when it’s one of the most progressive districts in the country, there’s not much stark contrast between policy platform and positionality," she said, describing Schakowsky as having "big shoes" to fill.

"That being said, I have one of the most innovative platforms," she said.

She is running on a platform of universal healthcare (noting health insurance as one of the largest corporate lobby groups); supporting immigration with a clear path to citizenship; promoting equality of school districts through federal funding (redirected from part of the defence budget); raising the minimum wage; and prioritising humanitarian aid over military aid.

What sets her apart, she believes, is her experience and deep roots in the community. Since being elected to the Board of Education in 2019, a position she continues to serve, she has helped bring mandated halal, kosher and vegetarian meals to public institutions in Illinois; she has helped a family navigate an ICE detention, thanks to her community roots and fluency in Spanish; and she boycotted the 2024 Democratic National Convention over Joe Biden's support of Israel's genocide of Gaza.

The slogan on her campaign website says, "A fresh perspective from a familiar face," which seems to sum up her pitch as someone born and raised in the area who wants to take bold steps to implement progressive policies.

Before entering the race, she conducted a survey of residents and found that many were interested in seeing her run for office. So far, she has the endorsement of the Cook County Latino Democrats and of former Congresswoman Marie Newman.

Amiwala is part of a surge of young progressive candidates entering 2026 political races amid growing discontent with the status quo.

Among the other candidates vying for the seat is Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old daughter of a Palestinian immigrant and a social media influencer whose research has focused on right-wing extremism.

District 9, which encompasses Skokie, where Amiwala grew up, has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. Schakowsky, herself Jewish, became known for her critical positions on US military support for Israel, as well as progressive stances, such as opposing the US war in Iraq.

Though Schakowsky has long been popular among her progressive constituents and continues to enjoy a strong following among leftists, particularly for speaking against Israel's military action in Gaza, the 81-year-old does not appear to have the energy to speak out against Trump constantly. Polls have shown that Democrats want politicians who fight harder against Trump.

For Amiwala, that fight began in high school, when Trump was elected as president for the first time.

"I was a senior in high school, and Donald Trump's entire platform was xenophobia, Islamophobia, with a side of racism. That’s really all it was," she said.

"That summer, I worked on a political campaign, and someone on that campaign saw leadership ability and potential in me that I didn't see in myself at the time, and they asked me to run for public office," she said.

During her freshman year of college, she ran for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, losing with around 30% of the vote in a three-person race. She then won election to the school board and was re-elected four years later, this time unopposed. In one of her first public statements, she announced that she was refusing PAC (political action committee) money due to their acceptance of funds from a soda company.

When she was running for office, her constituents requested halal, kosher, and vegetarian meal options at schools. Her testimony on the importance of these meals became a case study and led to the Illinois legislature passing a law requiring these meals.

"For someone who looks like me, I could have started and stopped with halal, but for me, it's all about coalition building," she said.

As an elected official, seven days after 7 October, she posted information about Israel's assault on Gaza.

"I sat down with leaders of the Democratic Party who told me this is political suicide," she recalled. "Some people said what I said after October 7 will haunt me."

In fact, polls show Americans losing support for Israel and its military actions in Gaza while having growing support for Palestinian human rights. Some studies have indicated that Kamala Harris could have done better in the presidential election had she distanced herself from Joe Biden's support for Israel and shown more support for Palestinians.

As for speaking out against Trump, she said, "I've been speaking out against Trump since I was a teenager, and you'd best believe that I will continue to speak out against Donald Trump, even now and today."