Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2026)
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← 2024
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| 2026 Cook County elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: November 3, 2025 |
| Primary election: March 17, 2026 General election: November 3, 2026 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Board president, assessor, clerk, sheriff, treasurer, board of commissioners, board of review, water reclamation board, circuit court judges, subcircuit court judges |
| Total seats up: 56 |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2026 |
Cook County, Illinois, is holding general elections for board president, assessor, clerk, sheriff, treasurer, board of commissioners, board of review, water reclamation board, circuit court judges, and subcircuit court judges on November 3, 2026. A primary was scheduled for March 17, 2026. The filing deadline for the primary was November 3, 2025. The filing deadline for judges seeking retention is May 3, 2026. The filing deadline for the general election is May 26, 2026.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
Offices up for election in 2026:
- Board President
- Assessor
- Clerk
- Sheriff
- Treasurer
- Board of Commissioners
- Special district offices
- Judicial offices
Board President
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
The primary occurred on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle is running in the general election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Toni Preckwinkle (D) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle defeated Brendan Reilly in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle | 68.5 | 430,724 |
 | Brendan Reilly | 31.5 | 197,807 | |
| Total votes: 628,531 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Max Rice and Eric Wallace ran in the Republican primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Max Rice (Write-in) | |
| Eric Wallace (Write-in) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Michael Murphy and Justin Tucker ran in the Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Michael Murphy | |
| Justin Tucker (Write-in) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Assessor
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Cook County Assessor
Pat Hynes and Nico Tsatsoulis are running in the general election for Cook County Assessor on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Pat Hynes (D) | |
 | Nico Tsatsoulis (L) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Assessor
Pat Hynes defeated incumbent Fritz Kaegi in the Democratic primary for Cook County Assessor on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pat Hynes | 52.6 | 328,143 |
 | Fritz Kaegi | 47.4 | 296,296 | |
| Total votes: 624,439 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Cook County Assessor
Nico Tsatsoulis advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County Assessor on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Nico Tsatsoulis |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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County Clerk
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
The primary occurred on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for Cook County Clerk
Incumbent Monica Gordon is running in the general election for Cook County Clerk on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Monica Gordon (D) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Clerk
Incumbent Monica Gordon advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Clerk on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica Gordon | 100.0 | 274,794 |
| Total votes: 274,794 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Cook County Clerk
Hontas Farmer ran in the Libertarian primary for Cook County Clerk on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Hontas Farmer (Write-in) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Geraldine Mulso (L)
Sheriff
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Cook County Sheriff
Incumbent Thomas Dart and Brad Sandefur are running in the general election for Cook County Sheriff on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Thomas Dart (D) | ||
 | Brad Sandefur (L) | |
| ||||
| = 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 Sheriff
Incumbent Thomas Dart advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Thomas Dart | 100.0 | 280,877 | |
| Total votes: 280,877 | |||
| = 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
Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff
Brad Sandefur advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Brad Sandefur |
| ||||
| = 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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Treasurer
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Cook County Treasurer
Incumbent Maria Pappas is running in the general election for Cook County Treasurer on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Maria Pappas (D) | ||
| ||||
| = 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 Treasurer
Incumbent Maria Pappas advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Treasurer on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Maria Pappas | 100.0 | 284,962 | |
| Total votes: 284,962 | |||
| = 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
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Humay (L)
Board of Commissioners
General election
Cook County Board of Commissioners general election, 2026 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
Tara Stamps (i) |
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| District 2 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 3 |
Bill Lowry (i) |
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| District 4 |
Stanley Moore (i) |
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| District 5 |
Primary results pending |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
Alma Anaya (i) |
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| District 8 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 9 |
Maggie Trevor (i) |
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| District 10 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 11 |
John Daley (i) |
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| District 12 |
Primary results pending |
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| District 13 |
Josina Morita (i) |
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| District 14 |
Scott Britton (i) |
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| District 15 |
Primary results pending |
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| District 16 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 17 |
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Primary
Cook County Board of Commissioners primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 2 |
Michael Scott Jr. (i) Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 3 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 4 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
Antoine Bass Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 7 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 8 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party This primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 9 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 10 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 11 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 12 |
Elizabeth Granato Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 13 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 14 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 15 |
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| District 16 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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Special district offices
Board of Review Commissioners
General election
Cook County Board of Review general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 2 | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Board of Review primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 2 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners
General election
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| 2-year term |
Cameron Davis (i) |
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| 6-year term (3 seats) |
Precious Brady-Davis (i) |
Primary results pending |
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Primary
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| 2-year term |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| 6-year term (3 seats) |
Did not make the ballot: |
Frank Rowder (Write-in) |
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Judicial offices
Cook County Circuit Court
General election
Cook County Circuit Court general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Cynthia Cobbs vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Kathleen Burke vacancy |
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| Mary Ellen Coghlan vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Paul Karkula vacancy |
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| William Hooks vacancy |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Cynthia Cobbs vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Kathleen Burke vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Mary Ellen Coghlan vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Paul Karkula vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| William Hooks vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 1
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 1 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Carl Walker vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Robert Balanoff vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 1 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Carl Walker vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Robert Balanoff vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 3
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 3 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Patrick Sherlock vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Thomas Murphy vacancy |
John Carroll (i) |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 3 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Patrick Sherlock vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Thomas Murphy vacancy |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 5
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 5 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Dominique Ross vacancy |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 5 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Dominique Ross vacancy |
Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 8
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 8 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Celia Gamrath vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Mary Mikva vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 8 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Celia Gamrath vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Mary Mikva vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 11
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 11 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Mary Roberts vacancy |
Kim Przekota (i) |
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| Pamela McLean Meyerson vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 11 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Mary Roberts vacancy |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Pamela McLean Meyerson vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 13
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 13 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| John Curry, Jr. vacancy |
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| Martin Kelley vacancy |
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| Shannon O'Malley vacancy |
Dan Naranjo (i) |
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| Thomas Kelley vacancy |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 13 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| John Curry, Jr. vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Martin Kelley vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Shannon O'Malley vacancy |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Thomas Kelley vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 16
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 16 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Callie Baird vacancy |
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| Patricia Mendoza vacancy |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 16 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Callie Baird vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Patricia Mendoza vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 17
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 17 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| James Carroll vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
| Lloyd Brooks vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 17 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| James Carroll vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Lloyd Brooks vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 18
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 18 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Frank Andreou vacancy |
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| Jeffrey Chrones vacancy |
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Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 18 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Frank Andreou vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Jeffrey Chrones vacancy |
Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 19
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 19 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| John Fairman vacancy |
Sara McGann (i) |
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| Michael Kane vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 19 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| John Fairman vacancy |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Michael Kane vacancy |
Dave Condron Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 20
General election
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 20 general election, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| David Haracz vacancy |
Michael Zink (i) |
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| Stephanie Miller vacancy | Primary results pending | ||
Primary
Cook County Circuit Court Subcircuit 20 primary, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| David Haracz vacancy |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| Stephanie Miller vacancy |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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About the county
- See also: Cook County, Illinois
The county government of Cook County is located in Chicago, Illinois. The county was first established in 1831. It covers a total of 946 square miles of land in northeast Illinois. As of 2020, its population was 5,275,541.
County government
- See also: Government of Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is overseen by a 17-member board of commissioners. Each commissioner is elected by district to a four-year term. Residents also elect a three-member board of review, county assessor, state's attorney, county sheriff, clerk of the circuit court, county clerk, county treasurer, and county recorder.
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Cook County, Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | Illinois | |
| Population | 5,275,541 | 12,812,508 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 944 | 55,512 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 54.4% | 69.8% |
| Black/African American | 23.3% | 14.1% |
| Asian | 7.5% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% |
| Other (single race) | 9.6% | 6% |
| Multiple | 4.9% | 4.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 25.3% | 17.2% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 87.7% | 89.7% |
| College graduation rate | 40% | 35.5% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $67,886 | $68,428 |
| Persons below poverty level | 13.7% | 12% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Cook County, Illinois | Illinois | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
