Daniel Biss (D), the mayor of Evanston, Ill., launched a campaign Thursday to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, adding another candidate to the race to succeed the longtime incumbent.
Biss, who has served as mayor of the Chicago suburb since 2021, said in a video that he decided to run because the country needs Democrats who “won’t flinch, won’t fold, won’t forget what we’re fighting for.” He added that people gave up on government because they saw politicians from both parties “give up on them,” allowing President Trump to win.
“The only way out of today’s crisis is to reverse the behavior that got us here in the first place,” the mayor continued. “Instead of resigning ourselves to the idea that nothing can really change, that this whole situation is inevitable, we need to fight for real solutions to our toughest problems.”
Biss is the latest candidate to throw their hat in the ring to represent Illinois’s 9th Congressional District. Progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh launched a bid for the seat in March, before Schakowsky announced her retirement earlier this month.
One other prominent candidate is state Sen. Laura Fine (D), who joined the race this month and has notched a few endorsements from fellow state legislators. Environmental health and safety professional Justin Ford is also in the fold.
Biss touted his record as mayor in a release, noting his action to enact campaign finance reform and a “Healthy Buildings Ordinance” to cut carbon emissions. While serving in the state House and state Senate, he said he’s worked to protect abortion access, create protections for LGBTQ rights and add technology privacy requirements.
He previously ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018, losing to sitting Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D).
“I am running for Congress to stand up to Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies. I’ve never backed down from a fight, and I’ve won some big ones—on LGBTQ+ rights, campaign finance reform, protecting abortion access, defending the environment, and more,” Biss said in his announcement.
“In Congress, I’ll take on billionaires and corporate power, lower costs for working families, and fight tooth and nail to protect our civil rights,” he added.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary should be the clear favorite to win the seat in the solidly Democratic-leaning district.
