As primary election day nears, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky plans to endorse Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss this week in his campaign to succeed her in Washington, a source with knowledge of the endorsement has told Evanston Now.

Schakowsky, 81, has represented Evanston and the 9th Congressional District since 1999, but announced last May that she would not seek reelection in the 2026 midterms. 

Schakowsky’s endorsement plans have not previously been reported. 

The longtime congresswoman told Evanston Now in July that she would not endorse a successor right away, despite nearly all of the top candidates courting her support for several months.

But after conversations with several candidates over the past months, and growing focus on the race from outside groups, Schakowsky has chosen to publicly back Biss, the former mathematics professor turned state representative, state senator, candidate for governor and current mayor of Evanston, an office he was reelected to last April.

Schakowsky’s announcement, which is expected to be made public on Wednesday, is likely to be followed by more endorsements from high-profile names in the Chicago area, including potentially more members of Congress.

In a statement, Schakowsky’s office told Evanston Now to “stay tuned.”

Biss, 48, had earned Schakowsky’s support at every level in the past, with her by his side last January when he launched his reelection campaign as mayor, while questions about her own future began intensifying. 

Schakowsky had been mulling retirement long before last year but had ultimately decided to run for another term in 2024, hoping to close out the Biden-era and then eventually, hoping to help usher in Kamala Harris as president.

But when Harris lost, Schakowsky’s mind was made up — She would not seek another term in Washington in 2026.

Schakowsky turns 82 in May and is among a growing list of Democratic incumbents stepping away as questions about age and longevity continue to dominate the national political conversation. 

But while the bulk of Democrats seeking to fill her shoes launched their efforts throughout the summer — Biss’ ten days after her May 5, 2025, retirement announcement — one of the other top candidates, Kat Abughazaleh, sought to challenge Schakowsky from the jump, announcing her candidacy before Schakowsky publicly announced her retirement. 

That announcement, which Abughazaleh made without any advance notice to Schakowsky, soured the congresswoman’s view of the political newcomer, who remains one of the only competitive candidates to not have reached out to Schakowsky directly to talk since, other than a brief introduction at last year’s 4th of July parade in Skokie.

Schakowsky’s decision to endorse Biss also skips over State Sen. Laura Fine, another longtime elected official who has had historically close ties to the congresswoman.

Schakowsky had spoken with Fine several times throughout the campaign as well, and raised concerns about reports she had been quietly accepting support from the controversial pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, something Evanston Now first revealed in October. 

Nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers are retiring in 2026, including a similar case in New York with progressive Nydia Velázquez, at age 72. Velázquez, like Schakowsky, didn’t endorse a successor initially but didn’t rule out doing so closer to election day. Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, who represents midtown Manhattan, is also retiring.

And Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California is also stepping away at the age of 85 and has not endorsed a successor either.

In the Loop and on Chicago’s west side, 84-year-old Rep. Danny Davis, who entered the House just one term before Schakowsky in 1997, is retiring as well. Davis endorsed State Rep. La Shawn Ford at his retirement announcement event on July 31. 

Schakowsky’s decision not put her finger on the scale from the jump was intentional, sources say, noting that endorsing Biss from the beginning may have appeared as an anointment, potentially clearing the field of other established candidates without allowing voters the opportunity to see alternative options. 

On Chicago’s west side, Rep. Jesús (Chuy) García announced his retirement the day petition signatures were due, seeming to give his own chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation), advance notice to gather signatures and file, making her the only Democrat on the ballot in March and leading to significant backlash both at home and in Washington.

That move, although it was one that Schakowsky aggressively defended Garcia for publicly, was one that Democrats nationwide intended to avoid emulating elsewhere.

Schakowsky has lived in Evanston for decades and represented the city in Springfield from 1991 to 1998 before her election to Congress in 1998.

The congressional primary election is March 17, with early voting set to begin in early February in Chicago and early March in the suburbs.