History of Kat Abughazaleh in Timeline

Kat Abughazaleh, also known as Kat Abu, is an American journalist, social media influencer, and political commentator. She gained recognition for her criticism of Tucker Carlson while working at Media Matters for America. Her writing has appeared in publications like Mother Jones and The New Republic. A progressive Democrat, she is running for United States House of Representatives in Illinois's 9th congressional district in 2026.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

March 24, 1999: Katherine Abughazaleh's birth

On March 24, 1999, Katherine Marie Abughazaleh, known as Kat Abu, was born. She is an American journalist, social media influencer, and political commentator.

Others born on this day/year

1999: Jan Schakowsky started holding the seat of Illinois's 9th Congressional district

Since 1999, Jan Schakowsky has been holding the seat of Illinois's 9th Congressional district.

2004: Grandmother becomes president of Texas Federation of Republican Women

In 2004, Kat Abughazaleh's maternal grandmother, Taffy Goldsmith, became president of the Texas Federation of Republican Women.

2005: Grandmother continues presidency of Texas Federation of Republican Women

In 2005, Kat Abughazaleh's maternal grandmother, Taffy Goldsmith, continued serving as president of the Texas Federation of Republican Women.

2014: Service on the board of directors of Arizona Girl Scouts organization

From 2014, Kat Abughazaleh served on the board of directors of an Arizona Girl Scouts organization.

2016: Endorsement of Marco Rubio

In 2016, while at Salpointe Catholic High School, Kat Abughazaleh, then a Republican Party supporter, wrote an editorial in her student newspaper endorsing Marco Rubio in the Republican primary.

2017: End of service on the board of directors of Arizona Girl Scouts organization

Until 2017, Kat Abughazaleh served on the board of directors of an Arizona Girl Scouts organization.

2018: Daniel Biss was the Democratic gubernatorial primary runner-up

In 2018, Daniel Biss was the Democratic gubernatorial primary runner-up.

2020: Graduation from George Washington University

In 2020, Kat Abughazaleh graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in international affairs, and looked for jobs in progressive politics.

August 2022: Experiences with Spiked Drink

In August 2022, Kat Abughazaleh drank a spiked drink, causing her to black out and then to consult a doctor. Her tweets about the experience were shared and liked hundreds of thousands of times, and spurred news coverage on symptoms that indicate a person has been nonconsensually drugged.

January 2023: Starts TikTok account

In January 2023, Kat Abughazaleh started a TikTok account, where she covered Tucker Carlson and his show.

April 2023: Faced online harassment

By April 2023, some of Kat Abughazaleh's posts on Twitter, where she had more than 182,000 followers, had gone viral, and she faced online harassment by conservative commentators and right-wing users.

May 2024: Recognition as Political Influencer and Layoff from Media Matters

In May 2024, Kat Abughazaleh was named on a list of "25 Political Influencers to Watch in 2024" by The New Republic. Also that month, she and 11 colleagues were laid off from Media Matters following a lawsuit by Elon Musk.

July 2024: Increase in Social Media Following and Joining Zeteo

By July 2024, Kat Abughazaleh had nearly 500,000 social media followers across TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. She also joined the media outlet Zeteo to produce videos countering right-wing narratives.

July 2024: Move to Chicago

In July 2024, Kat Abughazaleh and her partner, Ben Collins, moved to Chicago, Illinois, due to Collins's new role as CEO of Global Tetrahedron, owner of The Onion.

July 24, 2024: Hired by Mother Jones

On July 24, 2024, Mother Jones announced that they hired Kat Abughazaleh as a video creator.

August 2024: Coverage of the Democratic National Convention

In August 2024, Kat Abughazaleh was invited by the Democratic National Convention as a content creator to cover the convention. While at the DNC, she participated in an Uncommitted sit-in and interviewed Ro Khanna about the Democrats' Middle East policy. She expressed being "shocked" and "appalled" at the lack of attention to Gaza and Palestinian concerns in Kamala Harris's speech.

September 2024: TikTok Prominence and Analysis of Election Results

In September 2024, Politico highlighted Kat Abughazaleh's prominence on TikTok, predicting her account would play "an outsized role" in the presidential race. Following the election, she wrote for The New Republic advocating for new blood and radical change within the Democratic Party.

March 24, 2025: Announcement of Candidacy for Illinois's 9th Congressional District

On March 24, 2025, Kat Abughazaleh announced her candidacy in the Democratic primary election for Illinois's 9th congressional district seat, currently held by Jan Schakowsky.

May 2025: Potential Historic Election to Congress

As of May 2025, if elected, Kat Abughazaleh would be the youngest woman, the first Gen Z woman, and the second Palestinian-American woman ever elected to Congress.

September 2025: Incident at ICE Detention Facility and Subsequent Indictment

In September 2025, Kat Abughazaleh was thrown to the ground by an ICE agent during a protest at an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. She suffered minor injuries. In October 2025, she was indicted by the Department of Justice for her role in the protest, accused of hindering a federal agent. She called the indictment a political prosecution.

October 2025: Indictment by the United States Department of Justice

In October 2025, Kat Abughazaleh was indicted by the United States Department of Justice for her role in a protest in September. The indictment alleged that she "physically hindered and impeded" a federal agent.

2025: Condemnation of Violence and Security Measures

In 2025, Kat Abughazaleh condemned the killing of Israeli Embassy workers and the Boulder fire attack. She hired private security after vandalism at her campaign office and accusations of supporting Hezbollah.

2025: Nomination for Webby Award

In 2025, Kat Abughazaleh was nominated for a Webby Award in the "News & Politics: Creators" category for her coverage of the far right.

2025: Campaign Contributions and Potential Primary Challenger

In 2025, Kat Abughazaleh's campaign received over $378,000 in the first week, with no PAC contributions. Her campaign outraised Schakowsky's in the first quarter. In mid-April, David Abrevaya considered running in the primary as well.

December 31, 2025: Campaign Fundraising Lead

Campaign finance filings up through December 31, 2025, show Kat Abughazaleh leading in fundraising with $2.7 million raised.

January 2026: Narcolepsy revelation

In January 2026, after missing a virtual forum with Indivisible Edgewater, Kat Abughazaleh revealed in a statement to social media that she has narcolepsy.

2026: Seeking re-election

In 2026, Jan Schakowsky hadn't yet announced whether she would seek re-election in the congressional seat.

2026: Candidacy for US House of Representatives

In 2026, Kat Abughazaleh is a candidate for the United States House of Representatives election in Illinois's 9th congressional district, as a progressive Democrat.

2026: Schakowsky's Retirement Announcement and Subsequent Candidate Declarations

In early May 2026, Jan Schakowsky announced her retirement at the conclusion of her term. State Senator Laura Fine and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss announced candidacies for the district. The field totaled twelve candidates by mid-July.