Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss Secures Democratic Nomination Despite Past Student Relationship

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss emerged victorious in Tuesday’s crowded Democratic primary for Illinois’ ninth congressional district, securing the party’s nomination to replace outgoing Representative Jan Schakowsky. Biss triumphed over more than a dozen challengers, successfully navigating a field of candidates while facing renewed scrutiny regarding a romantic encounter from his past. The primary results arrive as observers debate whether shifting cultural norms regarding power dynamics and professional boundaries continue to influence electoral outcomes.

The controversy centers on a 2004 relationship between Biss and a former undergraduate student, Megan Wachspress, during his time as a mathematics instructor at the University of Chicago. Wachspress, now a lecturer at Stanford Law, publicly disclosed the details of their brief interaction on social media just before the primary, arguing that the age gap and professional power dynamic were inappropriate. According to accounts from both parties, the relationship occurred after the student had completed his course, and Biss ended the interaction shortly after it began.

While the #MeToo era previously established strict standards regarding faculty-student relationships, the electorate’s decision to move forward with Biss suggests that voters may be recalibrating their expectations for political candidates. Despite the public nature of the allegations, the primary victory indicates that a significant portion of the district’s Democratic base did not view the two-decade-old incident as a disqualifying factor for his congressional bid.