Daniel Biss
Committees:
Circuit Court Selection, Countywide Selection, Finance, Statewide Selection
Biography:
Daniel Biss is mayor and Democratic Party committeeperson of Evanston, Illinois. He began his career as a mathematics professor at the University of Chicago before becoming an organizer and then elected official, serving as a member of the Illinois House and Senate for eight years. Daniel’s public service has consistently featured cutting-edge initiatives to advance social, racial, and economic justice and political reform. For instance, in the legislature, he led the fight to create Secure Choice, a retirement saving program that has become a national model, and passed historic legislation that led to a ban on so-called LGBTQ “conversion therapy”. Under his leadership as mayor, Evanston has distributed the first municipal reparations to Black residents, established a guaranteed income pilot, and advanced political reforms like ranked choice voting. He has earned numerous recognitions for his work, including the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Legislator of the Year award, the Richard J. Phelan Profile in Courage Award from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, and designation as one of Crain’s Chicago 40 Under 40. Daniel lives with his wife Karin, who teaches humanities and social science at National Louis University, and their two children.