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Cook County State's Attorney election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
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| 2024 Cook County elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: December 4, 2023 |
| Primary election: March 19, 2024 General election: November 5, 2024 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: State's attorney |
| Election type: Partisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2024 |
Eileen O'Neill Burke (D) defeated Clayton Harris III (D) in the Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney on March 19, 2024. O'Neill Burke received 50.1% of the vote to Harris' 49.9%.
Incumbent Kim Foxx (D) did not seek re-election. Foxx was first elected in 2016. Both Harris and O'Neill Burke said they would build on Foxx's policies while improving the relationship between prosecutors and police.[1]
Harris was a former prosecutor and state government staff manager who, at the time of the election, taught state and local government policy, including policing, at the University of Chicago.[2] Harris ran on his experience, saying he would be "the bridge, the evolution of what has been going on and we’re going to move forward to ensure that our communities feel safe."[3] Harris said he would add a division to the special prosecutors unit that would focus on firearms, carjackings, and retail theft.[1]
O'Neill Burke was a former prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge. O'Neill Burke said she had more courtroom experience and more experience in mentorship owing to her time running training programs for new judges.[4][5] O'Neill Burke said she was running because of crime rates: "make no mistake about it, the economic viability of Chicago is on the ballot this year."[1] O'Neill Burke said she would end Foxx's policy of prohibiting prosecution of retail theft less than $1,000.[1]
O'Neill Burke advanced to the general election against Bob Fioretti (R) and Andrew Charles Kopinski (L). Democrats had, at the time of the election, won every election for Cook County State's Attorney since 1996.[6] Foxx won the 2016 election 72%-28% and the 2020 election 54%-39%.
Clayton Harris III (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
Cook County also held elections for county commissioners, board of review commissioners, water reclamation district, clerk of circuit court, circuit court judges, and subcircuit court judges in 2024. Click here for an overview of those elections.
Candidates and election results
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 | |
| 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. | ||||
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Illinois
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: February 20, 2024.[7]
- By mail: Received by February 20, 2024.
- Online: March 3, 2024.
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?
- In-person: March 18, 2024.
- By mail: Received by March 14, 2024.
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?
- In-person: 7:00 PM Central Time on March 19, 2024.
- By mail: Postmarked by March 18, 2024, and received by April 2, 2024.
Was early voting available to all voters? Yes.
What were the early voting start and end dates? Early voting began on March 4, 2024, and ended on March 18, 2024.
Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? Most voters were not required to show ID at the polls. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver's license number, state ID number, or last four digits of their social security number were required to present identification containing their name and address. Acceptable forms of ID included both photo and non-photo ID.
When were polls open on Election Day? Polls opened at 6:00 AM Central Time and closed at 7:00PM Central Time.
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: " 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. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Cook County State's Attorney in 2024.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Cook County, Illinois, First District Appellate Court Judge (2016-2023)
- Cook County, Illinois, Circuit Court Judge (2008-2016)
Biography: Burke obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. After graduating from law school, Burke worked for ten years as a prosecutor at the Cook County State's Attorney's office. Burke went on to work as a criminal defense attorney. As of the 2024 election, she was a former president of the Illinois Judges Association and a trustee on the Park Ridge Library Board.
Show sources
Sources: Eileen O'Neill Burke campaign website, "Meet Eileen," accessed January 17, 2024, Eileen O'Neill Burke campaign website, "On the Issues," accessed January 17, 2024, ABC 7, "Former appellate court justice Eileen O'Neill Burke launching Cook County state's attorney bid," July 25, 2023, ABC 7, "Cook County state's attorney candidates face off in forum," January 11, 2024; Eileen O'Neill Burke campaign website, "Meet Eileen," accessed January 17, 2024
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Cook County State's Attorney in 2024.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
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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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.
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.
The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Clayton Harris III
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Clayton Harris III while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Eileen O'Neill Burke
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Eileen O'Neill Burke while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Endorsements
Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election competitiveness
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Election spending
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted finance reports to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[8][9][10]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
Election context
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for state's attorney candidates in Cook County in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Illinois, click here.
| Filing requirements for Cook County State's Attorney candidates, 2024 | ||||||
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| Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | |||
| Varies[11] | N/A | 12/4/2023 | Source | |||
Cook County state's attorney election history
2020
General election
General election for Cook County State's Attorney
Incumbent Kim Foxx defeated Patrick W. O'Brien and Brian Dennehy in the general election for Cook County State's Attorney on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kim Foxx (D) | 54.2 | 1,194,299 |
 | Patrick W. O'Brien (R) | 39.1 | 861,108 | |
| Brian Dennehy (L) | 6.7 | 147,769 | ||
| Total votes: 2,203,176 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney
Incumbent Kim Foxx defeated Bill Conway, Donna More, and Bob Fioretti in the Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney on March 17, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Foxx | 50.2 | 447,974 |
 | Bill Conway | 31.0 | 276,341 | |
| Donna More | 13.7 | 122,528 | ||
 | Bob Fioretti | 5.0 | 44,794 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 955 | ||
| Total votes: 892,592 | |||
| = 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
Patrick W. O'Brien defeated Christopher Pfannkuche in the Republican primary for Cook County State's Attorney on March 17, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick W. O'Brien | 72.5 | 51,610 |
| Christopher Pfannkuche | 26.9 | 19,122 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 427 | ||
| Total votes: 71,159 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
Cook County held elections for county board of review, state's attorney, clerk of the circuit court, county recorder, and special districts in 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on March 15, 2016.[12] Kim Foxx (D) defeated Christopher Pfannkuche (R) in the Cook County state's attorney general election.[13]
| Cook County State's Attorney, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kim Foxx |
72.06% | 1,459,087 | |
| Republican | Christopher Pfannkuche | 27.94% | 565,671 | |
| Total Votes | 2,024,758 | |||
| Source: Cook County Clerk, "Cook County and The City of Chicago Combined Summary, General Election November 8, 2016," accessed November 27, 2016 | ||||
| Cook County State's Attorney, Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kim Foxx |
52.20% | 230,111 |
| Anita Alvarez Incumbent | 33.06% | 145,712 |
| Donna More | 14.74% | 64,990 |
| Total Votes | 440,813 | |
| Source: Cook County Clerk, "March 15, 2016 Presidential Primary Election Results," accessed September 12, 2016 | ||
2012
Incumbent Anita Alvarez (D) defeated Lori Yokoyama (R) in the general election for Cook County State's Attorney on November 6, 2012.
| Cook County State's Attorney, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Anita Alvarez |
69% | 638,128 | |
| Republican | Lori Yokoyama | 31% | 286,862 | |
| Total Votes | 924,990 | |||
| Election results via Cook County Clerk's Office, "November 06, 2012 Presidential General Election," accessed January 17, 2024 | ||||
2024 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:
- Alaska State Senate elections, 2024
- Michigan Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Minnesota's 7th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)
See also
| Cook County, Illinois | Illinois | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ABC 7, "Cook County state's attorney candidates face off in forum," January 11, 2024
- ↑ University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, "About Clayton Harris," accessed January 18, 2023
- ↑ WGN 9, "Clayton Harris III joins race to replace Kim Foxx as Chicagoland’s top prosecutor," August 7, 2023
- ↑ ABC 7, "Cook County Democrats meet on state's attorney candidate endorsements," August 15, 2023
- ↑ Eileen O'Neill Burke campaign website, "Meet Eileen," accessed January 19, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin won't run for Cook County state's attorney, citing Trump's impact," November 29, 2023
- ↑ Office of the Cook County Clerk, "Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – Primary Election Important Dates & Signature Requirements," accessed January 18, 2024
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Signature filing requirements for this office vary based on political party. In 2024, Democratic candidates required 5,415 signatures, Republican candidates required 1,997 signatures, and Libertarian candidates required 1,143 signatures.
- ↑ Cook County Clerk, "Presidential Primary Election General Information," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ Cook County Clerk, "Presidential Primary Election General Information," accessed September 7, 2016
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