Biography

Annette Lidawer has devoted her career to public service, community leadership, and building stronger institutions. An attorney, educator, and longtime public official, she has spent decades bringing people together to solve difficult problems, strengthening public education, promoting economic opportunity, and improving the quality of life of residents.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Annette learned early the importance of resilience, civic responsibility, and standing up for what is right. She and her husband, Rob Rubin, have raised their three now grown children while making Highland Park their home.

After practicing law in Chicago, Annette discovered her passion for public service while working on the campaign of US Senator Paul Simon. She later served as an assistant attorney general for the State of New York, worked directly for Governor Mario Cuomo, and served as district chief of staff to Congressman Stephen Solarz. Those experiences shaped her belief that effective government requires thoughtful leadership, collaboration, accountability, and the courage to challenge the status quo when necessary.

After serving on a local school board in New York, Annette was elected to the Township High School District 113 Board of Education, where she served two terms, including two years as Board President. She helped lead the successful $89 million referendum that modernized Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools.

Annette recently began her second term on the Highland Park City Council, where she has become a leading advocate for economic development, thoughtful planning, public safety, transparent government, and long-term planning and vitality.

Throughout her service on the Council, Annette has consistently challenged Highland Park to think beyond individual development proposals and adopt a long-term strategy for the City's future. She advocated for making economic vitality a core pillar of City government alongside public safety, fiscal responsibility, and infrastructure investment and environmental sustainability stewardship. 

In her view, a strong local economy is what enables Highland Park to maintain exceptional public services, invest in infrastructure, and cultural amenities, and protect the quality of life residents value.

She believes great communities do not remain great by accident. They establish a clear vision, remove unnecessary barriers to responsible growth, and create an environment where businesses and families choose to invest for the long term. She has consistently encouraged Highland Park to move from reacting to individual projects toward implementing a comprehensive strategy that strengthens downtown, supports local businesses, encourages thoughtful redevelopment, attracts quality investment, and creates a vibrant destination.

Annette has advocated for the careful use of strategic incentives where they generate measurable public benefits. She believes incentives should never be viewed as giveaways, but as investments that expand the tax base, activate underutilized properties, encourage quality development, and strengthen Highland Park's long-term fiscal health.

Among her most significant accomplishments was leading the effort to modernize Highland Park's outdated liquor license law. After over a year of persistence, Highland Park voters overwhelmingly approved the reform with 82 percent of the vote, and the City Council enacted the change.

Annette also led Highland Park to become the first jurisdiction in Illinois to adopt as law, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and she led the current initiative for a referendum asking voters whether to establish term limits for mayor and city council.

As Mayor, Annette will focus on a long term vision for Highland Park: fostering economic vitality, investing responsibly in infrastructure, protecting Highland Park's unique character, and ensuring every major decision advances a clear, long-term vision for the community.

Annette's vision is simple: a City that plans instead of reacts, invests instead of postpones, welcomes innovation while preserving its character, and leaves the next generation an even stronger Highland Park than the one we enjoy today.