Clayton Harris III

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Clayton Harris III

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 19, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Middle Tennessee State University

Law

Howard University School of Law

Graduate

University of Chicago

Personal

Profession

Attorney and Professor

Contact

Campaign website

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Clayton Harris III (Democratic Party) ran for election for Cook County State's Attorney in Illinois. Harris lost in the Democratic primary on March 19, 2024.

Harris completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Harris obtained a bachelor's degree in aerospace technology from Middle Tennessee State University, a law degree from Howard University School of Law, and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. Harris worked as a prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's office before joining the city's intergovernmental affairs unit and, later, the city department of transportation. From there, Harris joined the state government, serving as chief of staff at the state department of transportation and deputy chief of staff in the governor's office. Harris later served as executive director of the Illinois International Port District. As of the 2024 election, Harris had been a lecturer at the University of Chicago since 2009, teaching courses on state and local government and policing.

Harris has been affiliated with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Kids Above All, the Greater Chicagoland Legal Clinic, and Progressive Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2024)

General election

General election for Cook County State's Attorney

Eileen O'Neill Burke defeated Bob Fioretti and Andrew Charles Kopinski in the general election for Cook County State's Attorney on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen O'Neill Burke (D)	67.4	1,315,970
		Bob Fioretti (R)	28.2	551,617
		Andrew Charles Kopinski (L)	4.4	86,174

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 1,953,761
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney

Eileen O'Neill Burke defeated Clayton Harris III in the Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen O'Neill Burke	50.1	264,428
		Clayton Harris III	49.9	262,857

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 527,285
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Cook County State's Attorney

Bob Fioretti advanced from the Republican primary for Cook County State's Attorney on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Fioretti	100.0	82,998

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 82,998
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Andrew Charles Kopinski advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County State's Attorney.

Endorsements

Harris received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Harris's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.

• U.S. Rep. Jesus Garcia (D)
• U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D)

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Clayton Harris III completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Harris' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m running for Cook County State’s Attorney because we face an urgent moment when it comes to public safety in our communities. Too many folks say they do not feel safe. They’re scared to come downtown, go shopping, or do many things that used to be normal daily activities. They’re worried about carjackings, armed robberies, and violent crime. At the same time, too many worry that justice won’t be served if they are entangled in the justice system.

I live on the South Side of Chicago, and as parents of two boys, 9 and 11, my wife and I are concerned about them walking from our front door to the park, and we worry about gang violence and bullets flying, the same way that walking back from that park, we have to worry about them being profiled by the police. I know that we aren’t the only ones who feel this way.

As a former Assistant State’s Attorney who came through the Criminal Appeals, Traffic, Narcotics, and Special Prosecutions: Narcotics divisions, I know we can take action in the prosecutor’s office to keep people safe. And, as a Howard University School of Law graduate as well as a professor at the University of Chicago for over 14 years, now teaching a course called “Policing Race in America,” I know we can do this in a just fashion.

I’m running because I believe strongly that every resident of Cook County deserves to know that their prosecutor is holding violent offenders accountable, and is pushing forward on reform.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Protecting our youth.

  As a father, I believe strongly in the importance of accountability for young people, especially those engaged in violent behavior, that is appropriate and that prevents them from picking up a gun or committing other such crimes in the future. With children as young as 12 committing carjackings across Cook County, it’s clear that our young people need more early intervention to keep them away from a path of crime. I will work to strengthen partnerships with Chicago Public Schools and other Cook County school districts to make sure we’re engaging with young people, connecting high-risk youth with social services and other resources, and steering them away from dangerous behaviors.

• Taking on Crime and Seeking Justice I will be proactive in preventing gun violence and other violent crimes. I’ll team up with state and federal law enforcement agencies to bring charges and hold the most dangerous offenders accountable. As a former prosecutor in the Special Prosecutions unit, I know that beefing up Special Prosecutions will help ensure there are additional resources to prosecute retail theft, gun crimes and carjackings, and more. I will work with federal partners to get to the source of gun crimes–the traffickers moving weapons from states like Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
• Protecting Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victims. I am committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, including survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. I will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions. I will collaborate with local organizations and law enforcement to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and hold abusers accountable. My vision for the State's Attorney's Office includes a comprehensive approach to public safety, in which I will prioritize the prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault cases and work to ensure survivors receive the protection and support they deserve.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety, education, housing, race, policing, and transportation

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to both of my parents. My father was a career military officer who dedicated his life to serving our country even when the times and situations were not fair.

My mother was an educator and a homemaker and dedicated her life to serving others, be it her husband and children first, Army men who couldn’t read, or veterans who didn’t have benefits.

They both showed me that there is always something more than self.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844 - 1944 - J. Clay Smith
The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Integrity and ethics, leadership, communication, transparency, listening, empathy, judgment, and trust.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of balance. I think it is possible to do more than one thing at a time and also to be more than one thing at the same time and that can be achieved through balance.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I clearly remember the bicentennial Fourth of July when I was six years old. Growing up as a son to an officer in the United States Army it was a very momentous occasion. I also clearly remember the Challenger explosion as a 15-year-old. Finally, I remember the Rodney King beating, case, acquittal, and aftermath at the age of 21.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I mowed lawns in middle school and in high school I worked at the Burger King on post in Germany for two years before going to college.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Time. There is always more to do. So finding the correct time and opportunity to focus on what truly matters is always a struggle when there are so many things to do. So, it becomes a management issue on prioritization.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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