|
Laura Fine’s Rough Week in Review: Trump Donors, AIPAC Money, and a Shadowy Super PAC
EVANSTON, IL — This week in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District, the full scope of state Sen. Laura Fine's reliance on AIPAC and right-wing donors came into sharp focus, and the pattern is deeply troubling. Let’s review:
Saturday: Fine disclosed her fourth-quarter 2025 fundraising totals, revealing that 92% of her contributions came from outside Illinois. She raised more than $50,000 from previous Trump donors, exceeding the amount she raised from residents of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Since launching her campaign, Fine has taken in nearly $60,000 from Trump donors, who have collectively given more than $200,000 to Donald Trump’s political committees.
Tuesday: News broke that a newly formed super PAC, Elect Chicago Women, placed an ad buy in IL-09 in support of Fine. The group appeared only last week and has not disclosed a single donor. Multiple news outlets linked the super PAC to AIPAC, adding to the significant AIPAC-aligned funding already propping up Fine’s campaign.
Wednesday: At a candidate forum, Fine was pressed about the tens of thousands of dollars she has accepted from more than 40 Trump donors. She responded, “I don’t know who a Trump donor is who’s donating,” despite saying just last month, “Anytime somebody donates to my campaign, it makes me feel very proud.” Fine also claimed she “didn’t even know about” the pro-Fine super PAC until that day, even though her campaign pulled its own broadcast TV ads at the exact moment the super PAC’s ads went on the air.
Thursday: In New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District special election, AIPAC’s preferred candidate finished a distant third despite millions of dollars spent by AIPAC and its right-wing allies. The result underscored AIPAC’s growing toxicity with Democratic voters and highlighted the limits of Republicans trying to buy Democratic primaries.
Today, George Lundgren, campaign manager for Biss for Congress, released the following statement:
“Democrats in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District are not naïve. They know when a campaign is being propped up by Republican money. Laura Fine can dodge questions and offer implausible answers, but she cannot escape the truth: Democratic voters will not allow Republicans to buy this seat.”
For more information about Daniel Biss, visit www.DanielBiss.com.
###
| 
