7 Takeaways from the Contentious Illinois Primary Races
Dizzying. Dark money. Division.
The nation watched as Illinois voters cast their ballots in several high-profile races last month. Muslim Civic Coalition-Activate, the 501c4 (political) sister organization to Muslim Civic Coalition, spent months endorsing and mobilizing support for pro-justice, pro-peace and people-powered candidates – especially those from our own community.
We’re celebrating our endorsed winners, while also reflecting on losses. It’s a tough, but important conversation – one necessary for the future we’re working toward, together. Let’s get into it.
Some background:
Muslim Civic Coalition-Activate’s strategy for the critical 2026 election cycle has been rooted in community organizing.
Our endorsements for the primary were aligned with our strongest pro-justice and pro-Palestine community leaders, as well as progressive champions in Congress.
Through targeted door-knocking and phone banking, we organized to show up to the ballot nearly 5,000 voters, many of whom were low-propensity voters who participate infrequently in elections.
We stand by this work. We also have a responsibility to learn from it.
7 key takeaways:
1) Our community can be united without being uniform.
We unite around values, issues, and candidates, but we are not a monolith. Our political power lies in both alignment and diversity of opinions. Candidates must earn our support.
2) Focus is critical.
With a historic number of open seats, opportunity came with tough choices.
In IL 8 – where AIPAC and Hindutva influences are gaining traction – we had real momentum in a candidate with deep local ties, aligned on the issues, with critical support from national progressive leaders. But super PACs ultimately outspent our community.
Impact requires focus – endorsing groups like ours, and community contributions, must prioritize key races without spreading resources too thin, and not lose sight of critical state and local contests.
3) AIPAC is panicking; we’re making a difference and the tide is turning
Two signals show AIPAC is becoming increasingly unpopular and scrambling to find its footing:
Its efforts to (unsuccessfully) conceal tens of millions of dollars funneled into the state. Across the board, this election underscored the urgency of reclaiming our politics from corrupt, dark money influence and corporate interests.
The group’s last-minute pivot aimed at discrediting Bushra Amiwala, targeting Kat Abughazaleh, and pitting community members against each other.
4) Media fueled a negative narrative around the Muslim candidate in a crowded field.
Despite similar polling numbers between two candidates in a larger progressive field, IL 9 Muslim candidate Bushra Amiwala was disproportionately featured in stories about loss and division leading up to the election.
While not the root cause of the loss, this oversimplified dynamics and amplified division.
5) Demeaned voters disengage.
Dismissive rhetoric from within the progressive base doesn’t persuade – it alienates. Healthy debate strengthens us, but lasting political power is built through trust beyond the group chat.
6) Let’s be clear: Illinois Muslims are mobilizing with growing momentum
Muslim civic organizations and faith leaders are more engaged than ever before.
Endorsements from Muslim groups were largely aligned across races.
And despite typically low-turnout midterm primaries, we saw increased awareness and engagement from our community.
7) We build the future we want – neighbor to neighbor.
Winning requires neighbor-to-neighbor organizing grounded in local perspectives and priorities, with strong partnership from national leaders – especially in crowded, high-stakes races.
As a grassroots community organization mobilizing voters and supporting candidates, we’re committed to applying lessons learned and clearly communicating our work, the process behind it, and the values that drive us. You can view Frequently Asked Questions here for more details.
We’re energized by our wins, guided by these takeaways and ready for the work ahead in the General Election.