AIPAC attacks fall flat as Democrat Daniel Biss wins Illinois House primary

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss won Tuesday's Democratic primary for Illinois's 9th Congressional District, defeating a crowded field including AIPAC's preferred candidate, state Sen. Laura Fine, despite an onslaught of attack ads from an AIPAC-aligned group that spent more than $5 million. Biss, whose mother is Israeli and whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors, has sharply criticized Israel's war in Gaza—a stance that drew the pro-Israel lobby's opposition. The victory marked a significant rebuke to AIPAC's electoral influence within the Democratic Party in a district that is more than 10 percent Jewish and has elected Jewish representatives for over 60 years. Biss, endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel group J Street and by retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky, is now heavily favored to win the general election in the solidly Democratic district.