State Senator Daniel Biss is a former state senator and math professor at the University of Chicago. He served in the Illinois state senate from 2011-2013. Since his election, Daniel has passed legislation on a variety of issues, including environmental policy, high tech economic growth, political reform, equal rights for individuals with autism, and consumer protection. He rapidly emerged as an acknowledged leader on fiscal matters, pushing both parties to overhaul the budget process to align spending with available revenue while preserving top priorities. Daniel also played a pivotal role in passing legislation to support Illinois’s high tech entrepreneurs by tripling investments in Illinois venture capital at no cost to taxpayers, an effort that had stalled in the House in previous years.

In his term, Daniel earned broad acclaim for his leadership and accomplishments, including the John W. Maitland Award by the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization. Daniel served as a co-chair for a bipartisan working group to explore solutions to address the state’s pension crisis and was appointed to chair the state’s Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee.