Politics

Toni Preckwinkle Announces Reelection Campaign for Cook County Board President

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has announced she is running for reelection.

“With a new administration at the helm in the federal government causing chaos and uncertainty, now is not the time to step aside from this important work,” Preckwinkle wrote in a campaign email. “Now is the time to lead the fight to protect all residents of Cook County.”

The announcement was first reported on Politico’s Illinois Playbook newsletter.

Preckwinkle cited building upon efforts of her current tenure such as criminal justice reform, expanding health care access and relieving medical debt. Preckwinkle pointed to being proud of “having balanced budgets year after year, without any new taxes,” according to a campaign email.

Running as a Democrat, Preckwinkle has held office as Cook County Board president since 2010. She is the first Black woman to be elected in the role. In her last reelection bid in 2022, Preckwinkle won against Republican candidate Bob Fioretti in the general election.

Before her role as Cook County Board president, Preckwinkle served nearly two decades as an alderperson of Chicago’s 4th Ward on the South Side, representing Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas, Grand Boulevard and Hyde Park.

In 2019, Preckwinkle ran for mayor of Chicago and advanced to a runoff election before losing to Lori Lightfoot.

The upcoming election for Cook County Board president will be held next year.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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