Daniel Biss

Daniel Biss
Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 9th district
Assuming office
January 3, 2027
SucceedingJan Schakowsky
Mayor of Evanston, Illinois
In office
May 10, 2021 – October 18, 2026
Preceded bySteve Hagerty
Succeeded byClare Kelly (acting)
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 9th district
In office
January 8, 2013 – January 6, 2019
Preceded byJeffrey Schoenberg
Succeeded byLaura Fine
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 17th district
In office
January 12, 2011 – January 8, 2013
Preceded byElizabeth Coulson
Succeeded byLaura Fine
Personal details
Born
Daniel Kálmán Biss

(1977-08-27) August 27, 1977 (age 49)
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Karin Steinbrueck
Children2
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA, PhD)
ProfessionMathematician
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website
Scientific career
FieldsAlgebraic topology
InstitutionsUniversity of Chicago
ThesisThe Homotopy Type of the Matroid Grassmannian (2002)
Doctoral advisorMichael Hopkins

Daniel Kálmán Biss (born August 27, 1977) is an American mathematician and politician who is the member-elect of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 9th congressional district. Biss is a member of the Democratic Party.

Biss was the Mayor of Evanston, Illinois from 2021 until 2026. He was a member of the Illinois Senate from the 9th district, serving from January 2013 to January 2019. Before, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.

Biss was an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago from 2002 to 2008.

Early life

Biss was born into a Jewish Israeli family of musicians on August 27, 1977 in Akron, Ohio.

Biss went to Bloomington North High School in Bloomington, Indiana. He received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, graduating summa cum laude in 1998, and an MA and Ph.D. at MIT in 2002, all in mathematics.

Political career

While in the Illinois General Assembly, he represented Chicago's northern suburbs, including Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Morton Grove, Golf, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka.

Biss previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. He also served in the Illinois Senate from 2013 until 2019.

He was a candidate in the Democratic Party primary for Governor of Illinois in the 2018 election.

Biss announced his candidacy for Mayor of Evanston, Illinois in the 2021 election in November 2020. He won the election in a landslide victory in February 2021.

In May 2025, Biss announced his candidacy to represent Illinois’s 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2026 election. Biss won the Democratic primary in March 2026. He won the November general election in a landslide victory, winning 75% of the vote.

Personal life

Biss is married to Karin Steinbrueck and they have two children. They moved to Evanston in 2006.

In 2026, Biss said he had a romantic relationship with his former undergraduate student in 2004, during his time as a postdoctoral instructor at the University of Chicago.

References

  1. ↑ "Hoopes Prizes Awarded to Undergraduates and Thesis Advisers". Harvard Gazette. 28 May 1998. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Biss, Daniel K. (October 2000). "A Generalized Approach to the Fundamental Group" (PDF). The American Mathematical Monthly. Mathematical Association of America. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Fulton, Jacob (23 February 2021). "Daniel Biss to become Evanston's next mayor". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Spot the differences between the two Jewish candidates for Illinois governor". The Jerusalem Post. February 26, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  5. ↑ Swinkels, Niels (June 12, 2013). "Jonathan Biss: A Super, Human, Musical Mission". San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Giovetti, Olivia (January 18, 2011). "Jonathan Biss". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Login Jerusalem Post BDS movement Jewish candidate for Illinois governor drops running mate over BDS". The Jerusalem Post. JPost. September 7, 2017. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  8. ↑ David Weigel (September 7, 2017). "In Illinois, a Democrat chooses a socialist running mate, then dumps him". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017.(subscription required)
  9. ↑ "Bloomington youth stars in science". Jewish Post, Indianapolis. 22 February 1995. p. 3.
  10. ↑ "What does science have to do with the race for governor in Illinois?". Society for Science & the Public. February 21, 2018.
  11. ↑ Szpiro, George G. (2010). "20: Brilliant but Fallible". A mathematical medley: fifty easy pieces on mathematics. American Mathematical Society. pp. 97–99. ISBN 9780821890646.
  12. ↑ State Sen. Daniel Biss announces Democratic bid for governor, archived from the original on 2017-08-16, retrieved 2017-08-21
  13. ↑ Kapos, Shai; Carrasco, Maria (2020-09-17). "AT THE FEDS' BECK AND CALL — FOP RATCHETS UP RHETORIC — GEORGE RYAN'S BOOK — BISS IS BACK". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  14. ↑ Biss, Daniel (2020-11-18). "THREAD: I've made a big decision: I'm running for mayor of Evanston!". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  15. ↑ Bookwalter, Genevieve (23 February 2021). "Daniel Biss declares victory in Evanston mayor's race; results tight in aldermanic primaries". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Kapos, Shia (2025-05-15). "Biss Is Running for Congress". Politico. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  17. ↑ Kassel, Matthew (6 May 2025). "Schakowsky Retirement Sets Up Illinois Democratic Primary Battle Over Mideast Policy". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Daniel Biss, a progressive, won despite the presence of a candidate running to his left and a barrage of attacks from super PACs tied to AIPAC, the pro-Israel group, which were backing a more moderate candidate". The New York Times.
  19. ↑ "Former Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss wins Illinois' 9th U.S. House district". Loyola Phoenix. November 3, 2026. Retrieved November 3, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "'I've got a lot to learn from everybody': Daniel Biss and his journey to Evanston City Hall". Evanston Round Table. November 30, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  21. ↑ Brams, Sophie (2026-03-17). "Illinois congressional candidate admits 'ill-advised' dates with student in 2004". The Hill.
  22. ↑ Harrison, Alex (March 17, 2026). "Biss campaign: Relationship with University of Chicago student in 2004 was 'ill-advised'". Evanston RoundTable.

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