In front of a who’s who of political power players, Mayor Daniel Biss officially launched his reelection campaign Wednesday by lambasting the Trump administration as “obscene” and narrating a greatest-hits retrospective of his first term.
The mayor’s stark rhetoric kicked off a lively speech with about 150 supporters in attendance at Double Clutch Brewing Company in central Evanston. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), Biss proclaimed Evanston as a “leader in that fight” against federal policy.
“This is a scary, scary moment with obscene threats on so many people in our community and ideas and values that we hold dear,” Biss told the crowd.
Biss hailed Wednesday’s broad restoration of federal funding by the White House as evidence that local governments can succeed in challenging the administration’s policies. He also laced into federal immigration policy and touted the recently updated Welcoming City Ordinance as a “path-breaking” safeguard against the new administration.
The mayor, a longtime left-wing organizer, said his opposition to the Trump administration stemmed from Evanston’s political values before pivoting to his pitch for another term.
Looking back on his first term, Biss highlighted affordable housing, racial justice and sustainability as key areas of progress before promising “four more years of bold experimentation” in his second term.
As the mayor made his case, county officials — like Assessor Fritz Kaegi and Commissioner Josina Morita — grinned alongside City Council hopefuls. But Schakowsky stood as the highest-ranking of the politicians assembled to support Biss.
“This is a time when we need to have people who know how to govern — who know how to deal with the issues that people are facing,” Schakowsky said.
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The event launched an intense stretch of Biss’ reelection bid. On Saturday and Sunday, Biss will lead a “Weekend of Action” when volunteers will knock on doors around Evanston and phone bank for the campaign.
In remarks to The Daily, Biss said he’s “excited to go back out there” and knock on doors this weekend.
“I’m excited to earn every vote,” Biss added. “I’m excited to share our accomplishments and our vision. And I believe that what we’ve done in this term is aligned with the values of this community.”
The incumbent’s opening bash also punctuated a testy juncture for his campaign.
His six-figure war chest far exceeds his sole challenger, Jeff Boarini. His campaign claims endorsements by Schakowsky, all three of Evanston’s state lawmakers and seven of City Council’s nine members, among other powerful pols.
After Biss scored a landslide victory in 2021, his long-established political operation remained active. As early as 2023, sizable donations poured into his campaign fund, even though he had not declared his electoral ambitions. And in 2024, he succeeded longtime committeeman Eamon Kelly to begin helming Evanston’s dominant Democratic Party.
Though he officially remained mum about his reelection bid until August 2024, Biss jokingly hinted at the inevitable contest during his State of the City address in May. He told the largely supportive crowd about introducing public funding for candidates — what Biss called an “anti-incumbent mayor initiative.”
“So get your petitions ready,” he added during that speech.
To his foes, the mayor’s first term has hardly sailed smoothly.
Biss’ tie-breaking vote in favor of allowing NU to commercialize a rebuilt Ryan Field fomented a spirited opposition in late 2023. Parielle Davis, now running for the open 7th Ward seat, launched the “Better than Biss” campaign, which sought to recruit a candidate who could topple Biss from his perch.
Though the Ryan Field dispute shifted to a Chicago courtroom, another uproar soon enveloped Biss.
Early in 2024, Biss inaugurated the city’s Envision Evanston 2045 initiative. The project would craft a new comprehensive plan and zoning code, which would usher in “urgent” action on priorities like affordability and sustainability, the mayor often contended.
Yet many residents questioned the wisdom of creating and adopting both components concurrently — before the April 1 election. They took umbrage when Biss said it would be “immoral” not to move swiftly on his vision.
On Jan. 13, City Council separated the comprehensive plan from the zoning rewrite, which the council delayed until August. Boarini applauded the decision, chiding the mayor for “lecturing” residents on morality.
At his Jan. 17 launch party at a Central Street pizza joint, Boarini pledged to herald a new era of transparency and accountability after the incumbent’s four-year reign. Yet at Biss’ Wednesday bash, the Boarini camp seemed a world away.
Before Biss raised the microphone, attendees lined up for a mashed potato bar shadowed by a wall of kegs. They crowded around tables, digging into bite-sized shepherd’s pies distributed by servers and drinking beers as they anticipated the mayor’s remarks.
Kelly Wright, a 9th Ward resident, attended the event with her family. She said she hoped to see Biss secure a second term as mayor.
“I love how he listens to his constituents,” Wright said. “When I reach out to him with questions, I, as an average resident, hear back from him.”
That camaraderie extended to the spotlighted stage.
As Schakowsky spoke, Biss looked on as the veteran congresswoman landed compliment after compliment.
“He is thoughtful,” Schakowsky said during her remarks. “He’s smart. He’s good-looking.”
The crowd laughed. And as Schakowsky yielded the stage to Biss, the two embraced.
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Email: shungraves2027@u.northwestern.edu
Email: hannahwebster2027@u.northwestern.edu
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