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CHICAGO, Ill. -- Earlier this week, State Sen. Daniel Biss, a Democrat from Evanston, announced his run for Illinois governor.

He's a part of a growing list of candidates challenging Gov. Bruce Rauner's re-election bid in 2018.

Biss served as a state senator in the Illinois house from 2011-2012 and has been a member of the Senate since 2013. Before his time in politics, he was a math professor at the University of Chicago, holding degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

The state budget crisis and growing debt are top issues for Biss, who currently represents the 9th district.

"Everywhere in Illinois people are hungry to be a part of taking our state back, taking it back from the money and the machine that have gotten us in this situation...I felt like I had to run for governor to be a part of that movement," said Biss.

Biss wants to build a movement of people who are ready to demand that the "system of billionaires and machine politicians" having clout in Springfield comes to an end.

"I'm building a movement to change who is listened to in Springfield," he said.

On issues of increasing taxes to help the debt crisis in Illinois, Biss said that Illinois has an unfair tax system. He said he believes that the richest should pay their fair share and that the middle and working class should not be expected to pay more.

"I vote based on my conscience and what my community needs, that's what we need in politics and we don't have nearly enough of," said Biss.

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