Who is Daniel Biss, the Democrat who narrowly beat Gen-Z star Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois

"A mathematician by training, he earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later taught at the University of Chicago before entering public office. He served in the Illinois House and Senate from 2011 to 2019, where he built a reputation as a policy-driven progressive focused on campaign finance reform, voting access, and structural changes to government."

"In 2021, Biss was elected mayor of Evanston, a city that has become a national touchpoint for progressive policy, including pioneering a local reparations program and advancing public financing of elections."

"As mayor, Biss has also taken visible stands on federal immigration enforcement. In December, he confronted U.S. Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino and federal agents during an operation in Evanston, approaching masked officers at a gas station as residents gathered and recorded the encounter."

Daniel Biss, a 48-year-old mathematician and former Illinois state representative and senator, defeated Gen-Z candidate Kat Abughazaleh in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. Biss has been a prominent North Shore political figure since 2011, building a reputation as a policy-driven progressive focused on campaign finance reform, voting access, and government reform. After losing the 2018 gubernatorial race to J.B. Pritzker, he was elected Evanston mayor in 2021. As mayor, Biss has championed progressive initiatives including a local reparations program and public election financing. He has also taken visible stands on immigration enforcement, notably confronting U.S. Border Patrol officials during an operation in Evanston. The primary race highlighted generational divides within the reliably Democratic district.

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