A journalist-turned-commentator who became known for her social media takedowns of the far right is officially running for Congress, hoping to bring newer and younger representation to a floundering Democratic Party accused of not fighting hard enough for their constituents.

Kat Abughazaleh announced on Monday that she is running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, which has been held by the same Democratic lawmaker since before she was born. And while she doesn’t currently live in the district — and has only lived in the state for less than a year — the recently laid-off 26-year-old maintains that voters need the kind of representation that intimately knows the country’s struggling economic and social realities, and is willing to fight for new solutions.

“We deserve Representatives who face the same challenges we do (or at least have some time in the last decade),” Abughazaleh said on her campaign website. “They don’t deal with out-of-pocket prescription costs or nightmarish rent hikes or existential fear about their lives in 50 years. You and I do.”

Abughazaleh expressed frustration with the Democratic Party that’s been shared by many voters and a growing number of lawmakers — particularly after President Donald Trump took office a second time, and even more so after some Democrats voted in favor of the GOP’s harmful government spending bill.

Democratic leaders have been accused of not treating the Trump administration’s descent into authoritarianism with the urgency it requires, and prioritizing big donors over constituents’ needs. The anger has led to calls to change the party’s status quo, and for the old guard to make room for the younger generation of Democrats to lead.

“I say it’s time to drop the excuses and grow a fucking spine,” Abughazaleh said in a video first posted on Bluesky — a move she said was intentional so that her campaign doesn’t heavily rely on Elon Musk’s X or Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.

“Unfortunately, this party has become one where you have to look to the exceptions for real leadership, as the majority work from an outdated playbook,” she continued. “We need a makeover, which means we need a vision that’s bigger than what we’ve been told is possible.”

Abughazaleh worked at watchdog group Media Matters until last year, when Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against the organization led to a dozen layoffs, including her. As part of the lawsuit, the political researcher was also deposed in Chicago for what she said were tweets critical of the billionaire Trump ally.

Over time, Abughazaleh became widely popular on social media for taking down members of the far right, like Musk. Now, she wants to do it as the second Palestinian American woman in Congress and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in U.S. history.

“This is all to say I’m not scared of standing up to these people. I know how they think and I know how to beat them,” she said. “But my campaign itself is going to be different too, because I don’t want to wait a year to help people. We’re focused on meeting constituent needs with one simple rule: What if we didn’t suck?”

The district Abughazaleh is vying for has been occupied by Rep. Jan Schakowsky since 1999, likely making the content creator’s primary challenge an uphill battle. While Abughazaleh told Rolling Stone that Schakowsky “has had a pretty great track record on voting,” she still believes it’s time for the district to have fresh leadership.

Schakowsky, 80, did not disparage Abughazaleh for her decision to run against her — nor did she say whether she’d step aside and support her in the race.

“What makes our community, and our country, so great is that we welcome all voices and ideas,” the incumbent said in a statement to HuffPost. “I have always encouraged more participation in the democratic process, and I’m glad to see new faces getting involved as we stand up against the Trump Administration.”