Illinois Congressional Candidate Uses Discord to Support Her Campaign

The 26-year-old Congressional Candidate for Illinois’ Ninth District Kat Abugahzaleh is incorporating Discord — a communication and gaming platform — into her campaign.

By using Discord, Abugahzaleh said she aims to provide a mass communication and coordination hub between her team and volunteers. She said she finds Discord to be a more dynamic tool that allows for communication between volunteers as opposed to one-directional contact.

“We’re trying to run a different kind of political campaign — one that meets people where they are. That includes how we communicate and how we organize,” Abugahzaleh wrote in an email to The Phoenix.

With over 3,500 members, the Kat for Illinois Discord server is a primary resource throughout her campaign, allowing for a community of volunteers to connect and mobilize to reach voters, according to Campaign Manager Sam Weinberg.

The server consists of local volunteers and chat moderators who maintain a friendly and productive environment, according to Abugahzaleh.

Abugahzaleh’s campaign has received an upswell of support — local and national, according to Weinberg.

Through both Discord and Mobilize, another online platform used for campaigning and managing events, Abugahzaleh and her team are able to connect with volunteers. With the help of over 700 active volunteers, the campaign intends to gain voting interest through phone banking, door knocking, canvassing at public events and graphic design. 

Abugahzaleh has gained tens of thousands of voter contacts, as well as more than five thousand signatures on her ballot placement petition, according to Weinberg.

“It’s been an incredible resource,” Weinberg said. “There are so many people with so many unique skills and interests that are giving their all to the campaign right now.”

Abugahzaleh’s campaign website states she’s focusing on “safeguarding democracy” by addressing the current alleged corruption of the U.S. government and promoting solutions to ongoing issues such as gun violence and the diminishment of LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights.

Abugahzaleh said in an email to The Phoenix she feels democratic leaders aren’t standing up to nor responding effectively to the current alleged attacks against democracy.

“There is a really clear crisis here, which is that Donald Trump is completely unaccountable and is testing the limits of our democracy,” Weinberg said. “She really sees a deficit in democratic party leadership.”

It’s necessary for U.S. leaders to take these alleged threats against democracy seriously and implement change, according to Abugahzaleh.

Current changes Abugahzaleh would make within Congress consist of holding the Trump administration accountable, stopping ICE from being active on Chicago streets and making life more affordable, ultimately improving access to necessities, according to Weinberg.

Claiming current representatives are “out of touch,” Abugahzaleh presents herself on her campaign website as someone who understands the realities of today’s economic and social conditions.

Media producer and local volunteer, Zoya Davis, 32, said she holds respect for Abugahzaleh due to her informed nature and willingness to correct her stances on certain topics.

“I have personally seen her listen to her constituents and move on policy positions based on further information, too, and I hope she continues doing so,” Davis said.

Through Discord, Abugahzaleh’s campaign is reaching individuals who support and promote her message, according to Weinberg.

“We are so thrilled and honored that they’re willing to share those talents and skills and their time in the campaign because they believe in Kat’s mission,” Weinberg said.

Davis became an active participant on the Kat for Illinois Discord server toward the beginning of Abugahzaleh’s campaign.

For Davis, Abugahzalah’s emphasis on the importance of protecting transgender rights and standing up for other transgender people stood out.

If elected to Congress, Davis said she hopes Abugahzaleh can promote legislation and spark change in categories such as medicare, housing and foreign policy.

The use of Discord is a “mixed bag” regarding the benefits it gives to the campaign, according to Davis. She said she feels certain aspects of the server, such as Abugahzaleh’s fundraising streams, have been beneficial in the campaign, but there are still negative aspects.

“It is wonderful for getting locals in on helping out,” Davis said. “But there are a lot of non-local volunteers who get to come into the chat and not have as much of a personal stake in the election as we do.”

With the increase of campaigning actions, the non-local volunteers will be able to generate more of a connection to the campaign, Davis said.