Ultra progressive Mayor Daniel Biss jumps into race to succeed Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
'We're in a state of emergency right now. Donald Trump is dismantling the things that we care about most,' the 47-year-old Democrat told WGN-TV.
'What we need in Congress now is a fighter who knows how to fight and knows how to win.'
An experienced campaigner, Biss has been described as a pragmatic progressive. In Evanston, he signed into law a 'healthy buildings' ordinance and set up a housing reparations plan that aimed to right the wrong of housing practices that discriminated against African Americans.
'What we did is we looked at our history,' said Biss explaining the reparations measure. 'We learned that this was a community that deliberately knowingly discriminated against our Black residents in ways that are being felt today.'
Biss's mother is Israeli, and so he says he feels a personal connection to conflict in the Middle East. 'Israel's right to exist and defend itself is something that's important to me, it's something I believe in strongly. I'm also horrified by (Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu's government's conduct in this war.'
Biss, a former state House and Senate lawmaker, finished second behind JB Pritzker in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor.
Biss found recently himself in the spotlight in the battle over Northwestern University's new stadium. The Patrick G. And Shirley W. Ryan family foot the bill for the stadium but the university asked for the right to stage concerts angering residents. Biss broke a City Council tie to approve the deal.
Also in the Democratic primary contest, 26-year-old social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, who announced she was throwing her hat into the ring before Schakowsky decided to retire. The Palestinian American promises a different kind of campaign focused on new media. Abughazaleh quickly raised more than $375,000, using the cash to open a campaign field office in Rogers Park last week.
State Senator Laura Fine is also campaigning for the seat, announcing on Wednesday a dozen local endorsements. 'The energy is real, and we're just getting started,' Fine said in a statement.
Illinois' 9th Congressional District covers part of Chicago's north side, including Uptown, as well as several north and northwestern suburbs from Evanston to Algonquin. This is the first time the seat will be open since Rep. Schakowsky was first elected in 1998.
*WGN Political Producer Jordan Muck contributed reporting to this article.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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