The Cook County Democratic Party is an American county-level political party organization which represents voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s. It relies on an organizational structure of a ward or township committeeperson to elect candidates. At the height of its influence under Richard J. Daley in the 1960s when political patronage in employment was endemic in American cities,it was one of the most powerful political machines in American history. By the beginning of the 21st century the party had largely ceased to function as a machine due to the legal dismantling of the patronage system under the Shakman Decrees issued by the federal court in Chicago. The current Chair is Toni Preckwinkle,who is also the elected Cook County Board president.
Peter N. Silvestri is a Canadian-American attorney and politician serving as member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 9th district,which includes the Norwood Park and Dunning areas of the City of Chicago as well as the surrounding suburbs of Des Plaines,Elmwood Park,Harwood Heights,Morton Grove,Mount Prospect,Niles,Norridge,Park Ridge,River Forest,River Grove,Rosemont and Schiller Park. He was also the village president (mayor) of Elmwood Park,Illinois from 1989 to 2013.
Walter Burnett Jr. is an American politician who has served as the alderman for Chicago's 27th ward since his first election in 1995. The 27th ward includes the West Loop,Greektown,East Garfield Park,Near North Side,Old Town,West Humboldt Park,West Town,Goose Island and the Illinois Medical District. As of 2023 he is the vice mayor of Chicago.
Kwame Raoul is an American lawyer and politician who has been the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois since 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Susana A. Mendoza is an American politician. She is the 10th comptroller of Illinois,serving since December 2016. A member of the Democratic Party,she formerly served as Chicago city clerk and as an Illinois State Representative,representing the 1st District of Illinois.
Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the current County Board president in Cook County,Illinois,United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners,the executive branch of Cook County government,in November 2010,becoming the first woman elected to that position.
A special election was held in Illinois's 5th congressional district in 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel. On April 7,Democratic nominee Michael Quigley defeated Republican nominee Rosanna Pulido and Green nominee Matt Reichel. Quigley was sworn in on April 21 and served out the congressional term.
Joseph "Joe" Berrios is a Democratic politician who was the Assessor and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party of Cook County,Illinois,as well as a registered Illinois state government lobbyist. He was the first Hispanic American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly and the first and only Hispanic American to chair the Cook County Democratic Party. He was also a commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review,a property tax assessment appeal panel.
Christian Mitchell is the incoming Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago. He currently serves as Deputy Governor for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration. Prior to assuming that role,Mitchell represented the 26th District of Illinois as state representative from 2013 to 2019. He also served as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois during the 2018 election cycle,becoming the first African-American to hold the position.
Robert F. Martwick Jr. is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate,representing the 10th District since June 28,2019. The district,includes Chicago’s northwest side and some of its surrounding suburbs. Prior to his appointment to the Illinois Senate,he served in the Illinois House of Representatives from the 19th district.
The government of Cook County,Illinois,is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners,other elected officials such as the Sheriff,State's Attorney,Treasurer,Board of Review,Clerk,Assessor,Cook County Circuit Court judges and Circuit Court Clerk,as well as numerous other officers and entities. Cook County is the only home rule county in Illinois. The Cook County Code is the codification of Cook County's local ordinances.
An election took place on February 24,2015,to elect the mayor of Chicago. The election was non-partisan and no candidate received a majority. A runoff election was held between the top two finishers on April 7,2015,and resulted in the reelection of incumbent mayor Rahm Emanuel. The elections were concurrent with the 2015 Chicago aldermanic elections.
Edwin Reyes is an American politician who served as Cook County Commissioner for the 8th district,in northwest Chicago. He held the position as a Democrat from 2009–2014.
Jesús G. "Chuy" García is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 4th district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party,he served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners,as well as in the Illinois Senate and on the Chicago City Council before his election to Congress. He was also a candidate for mayor of Chicago in 2015 and 2023. Throughout his career in Chicago and national politics,he has been described as a progressive.
Timothy O. Schneider is the former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and a former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners representing the 15th district,which includes all or parts of Arlington Heights,Barrington,Barrington Hills,Bartlett,Elgin,Elk Grove Village,Hanover Park,Hoffman Estates,Inverness,Mount Prospect,Rolling Meadows,Roselle,Schaumburg,South Barrington and Streamwood.
Kimberly M. Foxx is an American politician who served as State's Attorney for Cook County,Illinois from 2016 to 2024. She managed the second largest prosecutor's office in the United States,consisting of approximately 700 attorneys and 1,100 employees. In 2016,she won the Democratic nomination for State's Attorney against incumbent Anita Alvarez and went on to win the general election. She was re-elected in 2020. In 2023,she announced that she would not run for re-election in 2024.
The 2019 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 26,2019,to determine the next Mayor of the City of Chicago,Illinois. Since no candidate received a majority of votes,a runoff election was held on April 2,2019,between the two candidates with the most votes,Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle. Lightfoot defeated Preckwinkle in the runoff election to become mayor,and was sworn in as mayor on May 20,2019.
The 2019 Chicago elections took place in two rounds on February 26,2019,and April 2,2019. Elections were held for Mayor of Chicago,City Clerk of Chicago,City Treasurer of Chicago,and all 50 members of the Chicago City Council. The candidates who won in these elections were inaugurated on May 20,2019. Four ballot referendums were also voted on in certain precincts. The elections were administered by the Chicago Board of Elections.
The Cook County,Illinois,general election was held on November 3,2020. Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court,State's Attorney,Cook County Board of Review district 1,three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board,and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.
The Cook County,Illinois,general elections were held on November 8,2022. Primaries were held on June 28,2022.
