Less than 24 hours after winning one of the most closely watched primary races in the nation, 9th Congressional District Democratic nominee Daniel Biss of Evanston greeted voters in his hometown Wednesday.

Biss, who has been Evanston’s mayor since 2021 after time as a state legislator, shook hands and chatted with folks in the lobby of the Davis Street L station.

The 15-minute public appearance may be a sign of campaign stops to come.

“I plan to continue to be available and listening,” Biss said.

The Republican Party’s nominee in the 9th, Arlington Heights Pastor John Elleson, was busy Wednesday, too. He spoke with commuters at Glenview’s Metra station and then attended a GOP unity breakfast in Naperville.

“I’m thankful, I am,” Elleson told the Daily Herald afterward.

A national spotlight

Stretching between Chicago’s North Shore and the Crystal Lake area, the 9th District covers parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. The incumbent, Evanston Democrat Jan Schakowsky, will retire in January after 28 years of congressional service.

Biss topped a field of 14 Democrats to take the nomination, capturing about 29% of the total votes cast. That may not sound like a large enough percentage to win, but it got the job done. Second-place finisher Kat Abughazaleh of Chicago had 26% of the total.

Several factors thrust the race into the national spotlight.

Not only did Schakowsky’s pending retirement create a rare open seat in the 9th, but the crowded primary became the costliest congressional race in Illinois and one of the most expensive in the nation. The candidates raised nearly $14 million and spent nearly $11 million through late February.

Abughazaleh got the attention of journalists and political commentators by running a media-savvy, grassroots campaign that yielded significant small-dollar donations without courting special interest groups.

Outside groups – especially the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and organizations associated with it – independently spent millions promoting Fine’s candidacy and opposing Biss and Abughazaleh.

As Biss headed to his car after Wednesday’s meet-and-greet, a woman driving on Church Street near the L station yelled “Congratulations!” to him. Biss spoke with the woman while she waited for a red light to turn green.

He walked away with a big smile.

Afterward, Biss acknowledged that 70% of Democratic voters in the 9th wanted someone else to be the nominee.

“I’m going to work very hard to win their trust,” he said.

Elleson led all night

Elleson defeated three other candidates to win the GOP nomination, taking 49% of the vote, unofficial results show. Even though Elleson led all night as the results came in, he said he remained guarded about his chances until he was sure he won.

Even when people called to congratulate him on his strong showing, Elleson wasn’t ready to accept the nomination until The Associated Press declared him the winner.

He said he spent part of the night picking up campaign signs.

Elleson won without hitting the $5,000 fundraising or spending threshold that requires political hopefuls to file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission. He said he didn’t want to accept campaign contributions until he was the nominee.

Elleson said his campaign was limited to old-fashioned, face-to-face outreach.

“It don’t take money to go door to door,” he said. “Now we’re going to have to do things a little different.”

Elleson acknowledged he hasn’t filed a formal statement of candidacy with the FEC. He will now.

· Daily Herald staff writer John Starks contributed to this report.