Mayor Daniel Biss called on his supporters to gather later this month for his reelection campaign’s official launch, just as the incumbent bolstered his war chest for the two-man showdown in April.
The first-term mayor’s Wednesday missive invited “everyone in the community” to attend his Jan. 29 campaign event at Double Clutch Brewing Company in central Evanston. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the get-together will celebrate his mayoral achievements and “gear up for the journey ahead,” Biss wrote.
“I’d love to see you there and hear your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing our community,” he added. “Your energy and ideas are what drive this campaign forward.”
The announcement comes as his campaign has brought in a sizable haul. Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, Biss’ fund received nearly $45,000. After expenses, the Friends of Daniel Biss fund held about $184,000, according to a report filed with the state this week.
Biss’ recent gains — and his looming official campaign launch — set up the most intense stretch of the mayoral race before the April 1 municipal election. Riding off a landslide victory in 2021, the mayor has touted his priorities on housing and the Envision Evanston 2045 overhaul of city policy. Additionally, he started helming Evanston’s dominant Democratic Party apparatus last year.
Yet he has also drawn an army of dissidents. His tie-breaking vote in 2023 in favor of NU’s bid to commercialize the rebuilt Ryan Field spurred the establishment of the “Better than Biss” political committee, which sought to oust him in the next election.
Just this week, City Council heeded criticism from residents over Biss’ swift Envision Evanston timeline, ultimately slow-walking its contentious zoning rewrite. The mayor’s sole challenger, Jeff Boarini, commended the council’s decision and admonished Biss for “lecturing” residents.
Boarini, a political newcomer, has a much smaller campaign fund. After receiving a total of $5,727 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, he ended the quarter with about $8,000 after expenses, according to his latest campaign report.
The former McDonald’s creative director and longtime Evanston resident has received the endorsement of the Most Livable City Association, a group fighting the city and NU over Ryan Field’s commercialization. Boarini’s campaign also unveiled an expanded website this week.
“Basing decisions on the needs of the people who live here is the foundation of a healthy city,” his website reads. “Welcoming every voice, including those that are in disagreement, is the way to lead.”
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Amid furor by foes, Mayor Biss’ ‘bold’ Evanston vision dealt a delay
— Boarini condemns Biss’ Envision Evanston rezoning push
— Mayor’s only challenger, Boarini, talks vision for Evanston, ties to Ald. Kelly