Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 9th Congressional District. He faces Republican John D. Elleson on Nov. 3, 2026.

Biss won the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026, receiving 29.4% of the vote in a field of 15 candidates, according to The Record North Shore. He defeated Kat Abughazaleh and state Sen. Laura Fine, among others. The seat is open. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced her retirement.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Born: Aug. 27, 1977, in Akron, Ohio
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in mathematics, Harvard University (1998); doctorate in mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2002)
  • Family background: Born into a Jewish Israeli family of musicians, according to Wikipedia. His brother is pianist Jonathan Biss, his parents are violinists Paul Biss and Miriam Fried, and his paternal grandmother was cellist Raya Garbousova.

Experience and public service

  • Assistant professor of mathematics, University of Chicago (2002–2008)
  • Policy adviser, Office of Governor Pat Quinn (2009–2010)
  • Illinois state representative, District 9 (2011–2013)
  • Illinois state senator (beginning 2013)
  • Candidate for governor, Illinois Democratic primary (2017–2018)
  • Executive director, Rust Belt Rising (2018–2021)
  • Mayor of Evanston (2021–present)

Endorsements

Biss has received endorsements from Schakowsky; U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois; U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; the AFL-CIO; the Chicago Federation of Labor; National Nurses United; the Illinois Federation of Teachers; the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC; and several other labor, housing and political organizations, according to Patch, National Nurses United and BallotReady profile data.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Biss' responses on his campaign website via BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Housing and cost of living

Biss said he supports increasing federal investment in affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. He said he would push to reward cities that adopt pro-housing zoning policies, such as legalizing apartments near transit and lowering parking minimums, as a condition of receiving federal transportation grants. He also said he supports expanding rental assistance and down-payment support for families.

On child care, Biss said he would fight to cap family child care costs at 7% of their income and invest in a nationwide network of affordable child care centers, with higher wages and training for early childhood educators.

Labor and wages

Biss said he supports raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour and indexing it to inflation. He said he backs the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to form unions, ban employer interference and hold lawbreaking companies accountable. He also said he would defend public-sector unions and promote sectoral bargaining, which sets labor standards across entire industries rather than workplace by workplace.

Environment and energy

Biss said he supports repealing fossil fuel subsidies and creating a "Polluter Pays Climate Superfund" that would require the largest corporate carbon emitters to finance disaster recovery, climate adaptation and renewable energy. He said federal climate action must prioritize and invest in communities most affected by pollution and most at risk from climate change, especially minority and low-income communities.

Education

Biss said he would work to increase federal investment in public schools, expand support for Title I schools and ensure students have access to mental health counseling, music and art classes. He said charter schools should be held to the same standards as traditional public schools and must allow teachers to unionize.

Veterans

Biss said he would support expanded job training programs for veterans and push to ensure Veterans Affairs hospitals are adequately staffed. He also said he would fight to reverse the Trump administration's elimination of mortgage relief for veterans.

Candidate issue positions were submitted through BallotReady questionnaire responses and the candidate's campaign website. They represent the candidate's own statements and have not been independently verified.