All Week Long
Originally published on wbez.org 04/22/2024 | Photo: Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times
As she easily breezed to another two-year term as the head of the Cook County Democratic Party, Toni Preckwinkle touted the dominance the party has held in local elections, but also foreshadowed the work to be done to unify the party behind Democratic President Joe Biden ahead of the national convention in Chicago.
Preckwinkle on Monday was unanimously re-elected chairwoman of the Democratic Party, a post she has held since 2018. She had no challengers as she was elected by 80 committee people, some voting by proxy.
In a brief victory speech, Preckwinkle touted how well Democratic Party-backed candidates did in the March primary, winning 21 out of 23 races — the best “win ratio” for the party in at least 25 years, she said. She acknowledged some narrowly defeated candidates, including Clayton Harris, III, whom she and the party backed for State’s Attorney. He lost to retired judge Eileen O’Neill Burke. Preckwinkle also made a nod to the preparation the party will take on for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, and November’s general election.
“We want to make sure that Joe Biden wins big in November, not just in Illinois but by helping to support volunteers” in neighboring Wisconsin and Michigan, said Preckwinkle, who also runs Cook County government as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
Published on WTTW.com | Heather Cherone | April 26, 2024
Leaders of the Cook County Democratic Party selected Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon to run in the November general election to replace Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, who died April 7.
Party leaders also tapped Chief Deputy Clerk Cedric Giles to serve as the interim clerk through the end of December. Giles served as Yarbrough’s top deputy and stepped in to run the office when Yarbrough was hospitalized approximately a week before her death.
Since Yarbrough died after the March 19 primary election, it fell to the county’s 50 Democratic committeepeople representing Chicago wards and the 30 Democratic committeepeople representing suburban townships to select the replacement for the first Black woman to serve as Cook County clerk.
Paid for by Preckwinkle for President. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website, http://elections.il.gov/, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. All contributions are reported to the State Board of Elections. Contributions are not accepted from employees of Cook County. Companies holding contracts with the Cook County are limited to $750.
Political contributions are not deductible for income tax purposes.