2026 Election: Illinois 9th District Voters Choose Between Daniel Biss, John Elleson For Open House Seat

EVANSTON, IL — Voters in Illinois’ 9th congressional district will choose between candidates Daniel Biss and John Elleson, who are seeking to succeed Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who has held the office for more than 25 years.

In the 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Schakowsky announced her retirement last spring. Schakowsky, 81, was first elected in 1998 and has been an advocate for health care and senior issues throughout her time in the House.

With her decision not to run again, voters across the district now face a choice between Biss, the Democratic candidate, and Elleson, the Republican candidate.

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Daniel Biss

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss is running to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.

Biss, who is favored to win in the 9th district, has served as Evanston’s mayor since 2021 and was recently re-elected in 2025. Biss stepped down as Mayor of Evanston in October. Before becoming mayor, he served in the Illinois State Senate from 2013 to 2019 and in the Illinois House from 2011 to 2013.

In January, Schakowsky announced her endorsement of Biss to succeed her in the district.

In March, after winning the Democratic primary, Biss said, "My promise to you is this: you will always know where I stand, you will always have a partner in Congress, and you will always have a fighter on your side. You have entrusted me with this enormous responsibility, to represent you at the highest levels of our government. My promise to you is that I will never take that responsibility lightly."

Biss has made immigration enforcement a central issue in his campaign. During his time as Evanston mayor and leading up to the March Primary Election, Biss protested at the Broadview ICE holding facility. While protesting at Broadview, Biss and others were tear-gassed by federal authorities.

On economic issues, Biss said, “Unchecked corporate power isn’t just hurting our economy—it's killing our democracy. Corporate monopolies have too much economic power and too much political power. Restoring competition and unrigging our economy is existential for our country. We need to fight back against big oil to protect our environment. We need to go toe-to-toe with big tech to protect our privacy, our kids’ mental health, and our small business owners. And we need to take on big pharma and big insurance companies to make sure every American has access to high-quality and affordable health care.”

His campaign website also outlines proposals tied to former President Donald Trump and presidential power. The website says Biss would back the No Kings Act, support legislation aimed at stopping the illegal withholding of funds, reestablish Congress’s authority over unilateral tariffs and ban any president from violating constitutional rights through deportation practices.

Education is another major part of his platform. On his campaign website, Biss said he believes public schools in America have gon underfunded for decades. Biss said education in America is under attack from Donald Trump, ideological extremists, and corporate special interests that seek to profit off of public schools.

"I’m the product of public schools and a proud public school parent — and I’ll fight in Congress to ensure that every kid in America has access to a high-quality public education, that our teachers are paid fairly, and that every young adult that wants one has a shot at a higher education they can afford.”

His education priorities include school funding, teacher compensation, free public college, student debt and student mental health.

John Elleson

Lakewood Church Pastor John Elleson is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 9th Congressional District.

While Elleson has never held public office, he has run in the 9th congressional district before against Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in 2018.

Elleson has a bachelor's degree in theology and says the "single most pressing issue" facing the district or state is the "financial deficit." He says he has spent decades working with local families and points to that background as a key difference between himself and other candidates.

"I’ve been working in the community helping families in every area of their lives for over 40 years," Elleson said.

On school funding, Elleson said he believes inequity exists between wealthy and poor schools.

"We just need to be wiser in how we spend the money," he said. "We need to balance the budget. Cut 3 pennies from every program. No budget increases until it’s balanced."

On the cost of living, he said legislation needs to be passed that prohibits companies from buying housing that drives up housing costs.

He said he supports the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts. Asked where he agrees and disagrees with President Donald Trump on policy, Elleson said, "I think President Trump is doing a good job and I support his policies."

He also said he wants voters to know about the diversity of the Arlington Heights church he pastors and the work it does in the community.

"We need more of this in our Capitol. We need to build bridges and knock this division off. It’s not good for our country," Elleson said. "It’s about people, not politicians."

Find all of Illinois Patch's 2026 election coverage here.