About the Candidate
Name: Abdelnasser Rashid
DOB: July 24, 1989
Occupation: Full-time Democratic candidate for Cook County Board of Review, 1st District; Neubauer Civic Scholar at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business; Former Deputy Assessor/Chief Policy Officer at Cook County Assessor’s Office.
Political Experience: I served as Policy Director and then Deputy Chief of Staff for former Cook County Clerk David Orr, and as Chief Policy Officer for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. In 2018, I ran for Cook County Commissioner against Sean Morrison, the chairman of the Cook County Republican Party, earning 49.4% of the vote.
Website: rashidforcook.com
Twitter: @rashidforcook
Candidate Statement
Hi, my name is Abdelnasser Rashid, and I’m running for the Cook County Board of Review in the March 17 Democratic primary.
I’m running because we need to fix the broken property tax system that makes regular families pay more to give corporations and the wealthy huge tax cuts.
I’ve spent my career finding solutions for families and taxpayers, and I’m ready to bring that experience to the Board of Review to ensure fairness for homeowners.
As Deputy Chief of Staff for former Cook County Clerk David Orr, I was dedicated to making government more efficient, ethical and transparent.
And as Chief Policy Officer for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, I fought for property tax relief for homeowners and small businesses.
Most recently, I led a successful effort to pass legislation to ensure seniors’ property tax exemptions are automatically renewed every year--an important reform to the old system, where seniors were forced to re-apply for the exemption every year. This law makes sure seniors don't get a surprise tax hike because they forget to fill out a form.
I’ll bring that kind of common sense leadership to the Board of Review. We need to use new technology and data to process tax appeals more efficiently and to cut down on red tape.
My own family’s story drives me to fight for Cook County families. I grew up working for my parents’ small business--and went on to earn my degree from Harvard. Now, I live in southwest suburban Justice with my wife, Fidaa, an attorney and former Worth Library Board Trustee, and our three young children.
Nowadays, it’s getting harder for families to enter the middle class--and the broken, unfair property tax system is a big part of that. You shouldn’t need political connections or wealth to get a fair deal on your property taxes. We need a transparent system that everyone can trust. That’s the approach I’ll bring to the Board of Review. And that’s why I have the support of progressive reformers like former Clerk David Orr, Congressman Chuy Garcia and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Again, my name is Abdelnasser Rashid, and I hope I can count on your support in the March 17 Democratic primary! Thank you!
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I’m running because I care about property tax fairness. I’ve spent my career finding solutions for families and taxpayers, and I’m ready to bring that experience to the Board of Review. I’m also running because I believe in the power of the American dream. My parents came to this country to build a better life. They came with nothing and worked minimum wage jobs to make sure my siblings and I got a high quality education. Our family was able to make it into the middle class. But now, the broken property tax system is making that nearly impossible for rising middle class families. The Board of Review has the power to help fix this broken system and ensure a fair, transparent system for all.
What is your vision for this office?
My vision is a Board of Review that can ensure assessments are done fairly and accurately across Cook County. During my time working in Cook County government, I saw firsthand that in order to achieve a fair and objective appeal system, we need better sources of data, better technology to process that information, and greater transparency in how decisions are made.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
The profoundly broken property tax system is hurting everyone. We’ve seen too many examples of homeowners getting priced out of their homes, which is an incredibly pressing issue. We’ve made some progress, but we are not done reforming this process by any means. The Board of Review, the Assessor’s office, and other bodies of government need to work together to make this system equitable, transparent and fair for all Cook County households.
