Saying backers ‘lost their nerve,’ Democrat halts campaign in 9th Congressional District

Saying he wants to “step back and reflect,” Democrat Bruce Leon has suspended his congressional campaign in the largely suburban 9th District.

The move came at the urging of supporters and friends who “lost their nerve” in the competitive race to succeed veteran U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Leon said in an email this week.

“They worry that a strongly pro-U.S.-Israel and small business-friendly candidate cannot win a Democratic primary in the 9th Congressional District,” said Leon, an entrepreneur who serves as a ward committeeperson in Chicago. “Out of respect, I have agreed to press pause.”

In a telephone interview Friday, Leon said the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential and well-funded lobbying group, has been pressuring rabbis in the Chicago area’s Orthodox community to persuade him to drop out. Leon is an Orthodox Jew.

Leon believes the group wants to consolidate the Jewish vote behind Laura Fine, a state senator from Glenview who also is Jewish. AIPAC has sent emails backing Fine but hasn’t formally endorsed her.

AIPAC has spoken against the front-runners in the race, Kat Abughazaleh and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. Abughazaleh is a Chicagoan who is Palestinian American; Biss is a Jew who is more liberal than Leon.

Abughazaleh spokesperson Ramiro Sarmiento said AIPAC is afraid of Abughazaleh’s momentum, which has grown since she and five others were indicted for their actions during a September protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and assault charges.

“They know our campaign will stand up to foreign lobby influence in U.S. elections,” Sarmiento said Friday. “Voters deserve a democracy where elections are decided by people, not by organizations spending millions to manipulate the outcome.”

The Biss campaign declined to comment.

The 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties and has a relatively large Jewish population. Its congressional representatives for the past 60 years — Schakowsky and before her, Sidney Yates — have been Jewish.

Schakowsky, of Evanston, opted not to seek reelection to the seat she’s had since 1999.

Speaking through a spokesperson, Fine on Friday said she’s focused on the people of the 9th District and not “the internal deliberations of outside organizations or these silly political games.”

Since halting his campaign, Leon has received public support from Chicago-area Democrats including state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who said voters should decide who serves in office, not outside groups.

“Bullying and threatening a candidate to withdraw from a race is about as undemocratic as it gets,” Cassidy said on social media.

Leon said his campaign would be suspended one week. Illinois’ primary election is March 17, and the last day candidates can withdraw their names from primary ballots is Thursday.

Leon said he’d like to decide if his campaign will resume or fold by Wednesday. He intends to meet with the area’s Orthodox rabbis Sunday or Monday to discuss the campaign.

If Leon drops out, 16 Democrats would remain in the running for the party’s nomination. Four candidates are seeking the Republican nomination.