Race for Cook County State’s Attorney underway ahead of elections

CHICAGO — In the race for Cook County State’s Attorney, two new faces are squaring off on the Democratic side.

Former Judge Eileen O’Neil Burke met with voters Saturday in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. While in Uptown, Clayton Harris — a professor, lobbyist and former prosecutor — greeted his supporters.

Harris, with the backing of the Cook County Democratic Party, is seen as the “establishment candidate” in the races, with support from Toni Preckwinkle and the Chicago Teacher’s Union. Yet he’s been outpaced in fundraising by O’Neil Burke.

She has worked as a judge, prosecutor and defense attorney in her career and has also been openly critical of outgoing two-term State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office’s handling of crime.

For example, O’Neil Burke promises to end Foxx’s policy on retail theft, returning to the state’s standard of felony charges for anything over $300.

Harris, meanwhile, believes the current $1,000 threshold put in place by Foxx should remain.

Both candidates say they will continue efforts on restorative justice for young people and for the conviction review unit, which has overturned past wrongful convictions.

Former Chicago alderman, attorney and perennial candidate Bob Fioretti is running unopposed as a Republican.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination is likely to win the general election in November and take over as Cook County’s top prosecutor. It’s the second-largest such office in the country, with more than 700 attorney and 3,000 employees.

Election Day is Tuesday, March 19.

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