Illinois professor runs for senate on pledge to end US military aid to Israel

Beyond his Israel policy, Maxwell also blasted Democratic leadership over the 43-day federal shutdown.

By Aaron Sull, Jewish Breaking News

A University of Illinois professor running for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat is breaking sharply with Democratic frontrunners by campaigning on a promise to end military support for Israel.

Bryan Maxwell, 37, grew up in North Carolina before coming to Illinois for college.

After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he remained on campus, eventually becoming a Visiting Assistant Research Scientist and Project Engineer.

In an interview with WMBD News, Maxwell said his decision to run for the seat being vacated by longtime Sen. Dick Durbin wasn’t made lightly.

But he argued that Democratic leadership has failed the country—especially after losing to President Trump twice.

“I didn’t see the leadership of the party having any kind of sense of reflection or introspection on that loss and trying to change direction,” he said.

For Maxwell, the clearest example of that failure is Democrats’ inability to end U.S. weapons transfers to Israel, arguing that most progressive voters find it “morally indefensible amid the mounting death toll in Gaza.”

“When I talk to students on our campus, this is a policy that people are strongly, morally against,” he stated.

“I think until the party changes course on this issue and other issues that are affecting the working class, we’re not going to see the party really recover anytime soon.”

Beyond his Israel policy, Maxwell also blasted Democratic leadership over the 43-day federal shutdown, stemming partly from a stalemate over renewing an Affordable Care Act tax credit that covers premiums for many ACA enrollees.

Maxwell claimed Democrats should not have allowed the shutdown unless they were prepared to “hold out for health care.”

And he said the larger problem—chronic shutdown brinkmanship—won’t end without eliminating the Senate filibuster.

“We need a better process in this country,” he argued.

“We shouldn’t have this almost regular government shutdown where federal workers are held hostage while politicians continue to get paid and receive health care benefits.”

However, Maxwell faces an uphill climb against frontrunners Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Robin Kelly, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

In all, 13 Democrats and seven Republicans are vying for the Senate seat Durbin has held for 30 years. He will retire at the end of his term in 2027.