2022 General Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I am proud to have held this office since 2010 and have worked to transform County government through fiscal responsibility, transparency, and improved services.

This campaign is particularly important to me because it is an opportunity to share with residents the once-in-a-lifetime investments Cook County will make using the $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding over the next five years. I am proud of the work of my administration during the last term, as we guided the County’s 5.2 million residents through the pandemic response and recovery and look forward to engaging residents and voters this campaign cycle.

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

My administration has upheld our legacy commitments to public health and public safety, fiscal management of the County budget and being strong stewards of taxpayer dollars, and investing in the economic development throughout the County.

Cook County is home to one of the nation’s largest public health and hospital systems. During my tenure, Cook County used the Affordable Care Act to create CountyCare, a managed care program for Medicaid-eligible residents. Cook County provides quality care to more than 500,000 individuals through the health plan. I'm also proud of the work we did during the pandemic, which included COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and vaccination programs; we will continue to provide booster vaccinations as needed in the future.

I'm committed to reimagining our criminal justice system and taking an approach that also addresses mental health issues, substance abuse and addiction as illnesses to be treated, not crimes to be punished. In the next several years, we will continue to make investments in criminal justice reform and restorative justice with a series of grants through the Cook County Justice Advisory Council.

I have presented a balanced County budget for every year of my tenure. For the last several years, even during COVID-19 we presented balanced budget recommendations without any new taxes, fines, or fees. My administration has solved for more than $2.87 billion in budget deficits and has provided supplemental pension payments of almost $2 billion above the required contribution since 2016.

Economic development has also been a priority for my administration; we created the Bureau of Economic Development in 2011 to lead and promote equitable economic growth and community development throughout Cook County. Through the Bureau, we have launched programs including a small business loan fund, rental and mortgage assistance, direct cash assistance, and job training and workforce placement.

In terms of what can be fixed, there are many longer term challenges our communities are facing as a result of the pandemic. I'm proud of the support and resources Cook County has offered residents during the pandemic, but we know there is still work to be done. Both nationally and locally, we are seeing increases in crime due to compounding factors from the pandemic. My priority has always been, and remains, to create a fair and equitable criminal justice system that increases access to justice for all.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

I believe the most pressing issue facing constituents is the disinvestment in their communities, which was only exacerbated by the pandemic. This has resulted in a myriad of challenges, including increased rates of violence, lack of job opportunities, lack of affordable housing, and other poor outcomes. With the $1 billion allocated to Cook County in American Rescue Plan Act funding, I believe we have the opportunity to make meaningful investments that will improve residents' lives and outcomes for generations to come.

Cook County has three years to allocate APRA funding and five years to spend the money. While we are still finalizing our plans, there are a few programs in particular I look forward in particular. First, we plan to invest $42 million to create the nation’s largest guaranteed income program. This program will build on the success of our $11 million direct cash assistance program and provide monthly payments to qualifying suburban Cook County residents. Second, we also plan to launch a new program to abolish medical debt using ARPA funds. This program is the first of its kind and will partner with a qualified non- profit to purchase and retire up to $1 billion in debt of Cook County residents unable to cover their medical bills. Third, we will make investments in behavioral health services, including creating a new Office of Behavioral Health within our Cook County Health system and expand personnel and mental health support at CCH clinics. This is particularly important following such a challenging time for people during the pandemic and I’m grateful that we will be able to provide support.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

It has always been a priority of my administration to provide responsive, transparent services and develop a professional workforce that reflects the communities served. This means publicizing Cook County initiatives and services for public awareness, as well as making these materials accessible to all residents with disabilities or who are non-English speakers. We have also made it a priority to increase transparency by publishing annual reports and building capacity to integrate data analysis across all Cook County functions.

During my tenure, we have streamlined the procurement process, which has had the impact of increasing equity in purchasing and vendors. We have also increased our minority participation in County procurement and contracts.

A recent success has been the engagement process with our ARPA funding. It was imperative that residents have an opportunity to provide feedback and give input on how this funding should be allocated in their communities. To foster this engagement component, we issued a resident survey, launched an engagement website for residents to learn more and share their feedback, conducted outreach with community organizations and held town hall meetings.