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Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss will resign Oct. 18, 2026, to trigger special election as he seeks Congress
Summary
Mayor Daniel Biss announced he will resign effective Oct. 18, 2026, saying that date will allow a special election next spring; petition filing dates for that special election were given as Oct. 19–26. He said he plans to run for Congress while stressing he will remain active in the community regardless of the election result.
Mayor Daniel Biss announced during his State of the City remarks that he will resign as mayor effective Oct. 18, 2026, to ensure a special election is held next spring.
"I will be resigning from the office of mayor as of October 18th, 2026," Biss said, adding he chose that date "to minimize the amount of time that the people of Evanston have a mayor who they didn't choose in an election." He said petitions to become a candidate for the special election will be filed between Oct. 19 and Oct. 26.
The move will trigger a special municipal election because of the timing of the vacancy, Biss said; he also announced his plan to run in the subsequent congressional election. "Should I be successful in that election, it'll be an honor to serve as your congressional representative," he said. "And should I lose, I'm not going anywhere anyhow," he added, saying he will remain active in the community.
Why it matters: the resignation timetable sets out the municipal process for replacing the mayor and opens a short window for candidate petitions. Biss framed the timing as a democratic choice to reduce the period when the city would be led by an appointed official rather than an elected mayor.
What happens next: Biss gave specific petition dates (Oct. 19–26) and said the special election will be scheduled for next spring. The mayor did not provide additional operational details about the special election calendar beyond the petition window, and he did not name potential interim arrangements for mayoral duties in his remarks.
Biss closed the announcement by urging continued community engagement and by saying his focus will remain on advancing the city’s priorities whether or not he wins the congressional race.
