>> Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss won the Democratic primary for Congress in Illinois is 9th congressional district last month he'll face Republican John Ellison and independent Delilah Barrera in the November general election for the seat in this heavily Democratic district in a crowded primary field.

This one with 29% of the vote edging out strong challenges from candidates cattle way and Laura Fine and many other contenders.

If elected, he would represent a district that includes parts of Chicago's North side, Evanston Glenview, Gilmer and Algonquin joining us now is Democratic 9th Congressional district candidate Daniel best who is currently the mayor of Evanston.

Congrats and welcome back.

Thanks for joining Thanks for and it's great to be here.

So as we mentioned, hotly contested 15 candidates running for the 9th district.

We were talking before we came on.

That makes for a very different kind of campaign.

Why do you think your message resonated with voters?

You know, one thing that we stressed throughout the campaign is that in this moment, this moment of emergency with Donald Trump is the president and the fundamental >> values and priorities of our community under threat.

mean, somebody with 2 qualities, the ability to fight and win inside of government and the ability to fight and win out in the streets as an activist because by the way, this moment will not be solved without moving.

The people rising up across the country to demand something different I believe I've shown both of those qualities and I think that helps me a part in this very crowded field.

Now that said, you received, as we mentioned, 29.5% of the vote, the next 2 candidates at nearly 26 20% of the vote.

>> What does that tell you about the constituents that you are running to represent and how do you plan on reaching out to them?

really glad you pointed this out and very clear humble about this.

70% of the people voted for someone besides myself.

>> And so I'm spending time now reaching out across the district, working too, bring people together to unite, not only the Democratic Party and progressives in our community, but a whole community because, listen, there's so much at stake in this moment.

Every day brings more alarming.

Terrifying, horrifying, sickening news from Washington.

We need to fight back together, unified.

This race was also controversial for the amount of money that went into it.

And you had criticism for one of your opponents, Laura Fine for receiving funds from APEX supporters.

>> What is the role of big money in politics right now?

troubling, right?

We just saw not only in our campaign but campaigns for the for open House seats as well as the Senate seat.

>> Giant, big money, a path our race.

But also from a I've from the crypto industry, not just sweeping into influence races, which is bad enough to doing it with these massive amounts were the whole goal is we're gonna spend millions and millions drowned everybody out and swap some one thing that was particularly troubling about the pack handle.

This was the they hit it.

They set up show super PACs with funny or knock us names and they really try to mislead the electorate about where the money was coming from and why.

And I'm really glad that the voters seem to see through it and respond accordingly, which is so important in this moment, we're going to save our democracy.

We need people to understand where the money's coming from, what to do about it.

>> Just earlier today, DNC members rejected was a symbolic resolution to limit the influence of corporate dark money groups and a pack in the primaries.

All how is support for Israel impacting the Democratic Party right now?

>> Well, I was disappointed by that decision at the DNC today.

By the way, I think it's important for the Democratic Party.

send a clear message.

Here's where we stand on dark money.

And here's where we stand on these key issues.

Listen, the conduct of the Netanyahu government Gaza and the West Bank violence, the killing the utilization of starvation as a weapon of war.

It's unacceptable.

And I think the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters feel know that.

And I think they're looking for candidates.

We're going to stand up to that and not kind of toe a hardline far-right party line, which is really what a packed immense during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago last fall.

video of you circulated confront and former commander at large of a Border Patrol.

Greg Vino.

>> That video course went viral.

How do you think that interaction?

Have you think that rid during the campaign?

How did that play?

>> I think our across the Chicago area was deeply traumatized by the violence.

The brutality of the indiscriminate racism of operation of blitz of ice and CBP.

I think that was really the forefront of most of our minds as we're trying to figure out how do we heal as a community?

How do we fight back against Trump and who we put in office too, really be fighting in the most aggressive way possible using every tool at their disposal and unfortunately, as mayor of Evanston, I had the responsibility showing how I fight back against ICE.

And I think that was important in the campaign.

Several leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

They've called for this president to be removed from office via the 25th amendment, including former supporters, Marjorie Taylor Greene, even Alex Jones.

>> As a Congress member, would you support invoking the 25th amendment is needed?

Of course I would support invoking the 25th amendment.

I would support impeachment the way this president has been speaking and acting with the war in Iran launching illegal war.

But now with rhetoric that he's using with the threat, white out a civilization, right used to having this attitude that's just wacky Donald Trump.

Let's not pay too much attention.

can't afford to treat this kind of threat of genocide.

Threat of obvious war.

Crime is just something to roll our eyes at this is dangerous.

It's wrong.

It's immoral.

It's a threat to our core values and it's a threat to America's ability to ever enter into productive partnerships any other country.

We've got and that this person is dangerous and he's obviously falling apart mentally.

He's got to go.

A key focus of your platform has been affordability, which we've been hearing from a lot of Democrats this campaign season, particularly with regards to child care, health care, tariffs and housing.

How do you plan to make all that better for your constituents if elected?

Well, I hope it time those lot of different issues, but they're critical.

And I'm glad that you asked about them, you know, as mayor of Evanston, I'm really focused on See later on in this show.

You've got people talking about some of the House and policy changes that are being talked about in Chicago.

We've been pushing that direction in Evanston to make sure but housing is affordable and Evanston on health care.

On the proud longtime supporter of Medicare for all, which I think is the boost official way to get health care access to every single American irrespective of employment status or any other condition.

You know, I think that Donald Trump is unfortunately after promising to be a president who bring prices down on day one.

given us in the opposite direction through his tariffs, but also through immigration policy.

I wanted to connect your previous question to this one.

But American economy that thrives is one that has a saint functioning immigration policy that welcomes people in through a functioning system of legal immigration.

And that's a part of making sure the price is going the right direction.

If elected, some residents have expressed disappointment that you'd also be leaving without finishing your second term as mayor of Evanston, if elected.

What lessons would you be taking from Congress are taking to Congress from your position as mayor?

>> Well, so many I I feel that this is really a gift.

experience of having been the mayor of a city in managing municipal budget is going to be really important in understanding how federal law interact with municipal governance, but also the things that we've done, for example, on housing, for example, on reparations, for example, on climate we've tried to use a as a kind of a laboratory to test out policies that really ought to go national.

And I'm excited to go to Washington and say, hey, listen, we did this in Evanston.

It worked.

It made an impact.

It's time to bring it to almost at a concerns and complaints that there have been from neighbors about the northwestern football stadium, which you did end up how should potential constituents think about you and your ability to listen to community concerns >> well, proud of the way that I listen to people on all different sides of issue.

And it was a tough, controversial issue.

But after really thinking it through and driving a hard bargain with the university, I'm proud of where we landed, but I also want to end here.

What you're going to get with me is not only someone who listens to everyone who brings in every voice who works with every community partner, but then someone who after that discussion, I conclude the right thing is to make something happen.

Even if it's controversial, I'm not scared to take a tough stance to move