Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Preckwinkle (Democratic Party) is the Cook County Board of Commissioners President in Illinois. She assumed office in 2010. Her current term ends on December 7, 2026.
Preckwinkle (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President in Illinois. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.[source]
Biography
Professional background
The following is an abbreviated list of positions Preckwinkle has held.[1]
- Assumed position in 2018: Chair, Cook County Democratic Party
- Assumed office in 2010: President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
- 1991-2010: 4th Ward alderman
- 1992-2018: 4th Ward Democratic committeewoman
- 1985-1988: Planner, Chicago Department of Economic Development
- High school history teacher
Education
- B.A., University of Chicago
- Master of Arts in Teaching, University of Chicago[2]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2026)
General election
The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle (D) and Brendan Reilly (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Toni Preckwinkle | |
 | Brendan Reilly  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Max Rice (R) and Eric Wallace (R) are running 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 Party primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Michael Murphy (L) and Justin Tucker (L) are running in the Libertarian Party 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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Endorsements
Preckwinkle received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- Cook County, Ill., Democratic Party
- Better Streets Chicago Action Fund
- Citizens Action Illinois
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2022)
General election
General election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle defeated Bob Fioretti and Thea Tsatsos in the general election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle (D) | 68.5 | 967,062 |
 | Bob Fioretti (R) | 28.3 | 399,339 | |
| Thea Tsatsos (L) | 3.2 | 44,615 | ||
| Total votes: 1,411,016 | |||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Eddie Taylor (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle defeated Richard Boykin in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle | 75.8 | 374,699 |
 | Richard Boykin | 24.2 | 119,915 | |
| Total votes: 494,614 | |||
| = 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 Board of Commissioners President
Thea Tsatsos advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Thea Tsatsos | 100.0 | 1,992 | |
| Total votes: 1,992 | |||
| = 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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2019
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 2, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 73.7 | 386,039 |
| Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 26.3 | 137,765 | |
| Total votes: 523,804 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 26, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 17.5 | 97,667 |
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 16.0 | 89,343 |
 | Bill Daley (Nonpartisan) | 14.8 | 82,294 | |
 | Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 10.6 | 59,072 | |
 | Susana Mendoza (Nonpartisan) | 9.0 | 50,373 | |
 | Amara Enyia (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 44,589 | |
 | Jerry Joyce (Nonpartisan) | 7.2 | 40,099 | |
 | Gery Chico (Nonpartisan) | 6.2 | 34,521 | |
 | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 5.4 | 30,236 | |
 | Garry McCarthy (Nonpartisan) | 2.7 | 14,784 | |
 | La Shawn Ford (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 5,606 | |
| Bob Fioretti (Nonpartisan) | 0.8 | 4,302 | |
 | John Kozlar (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,349 | |
 | Neal Sáles-Griffin (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 1,523 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 86 | ||
| Total votes: 556,844 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Catherine Brown D'Tycoon (Nonpartisan)
- Dorothy Brown (Nonpartisan)
- Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan)
- Conrien Hykes Clark (Nonpartisan)
- Sandra Mallory (Nonpartisan)
- Richard Mayers (Nonpartisan)
- Roger Washington (Nonpartisan)
2018
See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2018)
General election
General election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle won election in the general election for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle (D) | 96.1 | 1,355,407 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.9 | 54,917 | ||
| Total votes: 1,410,324 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 Board of Commissioners President
Incumbent Toni Preckwinkle defeated Bob Fioretti in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board of Commissioners President on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle | 60.8 | 444,943 |
| Bob Fioretti | 39.2 | 286,675 | |
| Total votes: 731,618 | |||
| = 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
No Republican candidates ran in the primary.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Andrew Nelson (R)
2013
Preckwinkle was rumored as a candidate in the 2013 special election for the U.S. House, representing Illinois' 2nd District. The election was required to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr.[3] In December 2012, Preckwinkle announced she would not seek the seat.[4]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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Campaign website
Preckwinkle's campaign website stated the following:
When Toni took office, Cook County’s finances were a mess: massive deficits, pensions on the brink, and no budget, not even a plan, for the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Fast-forward to today: Toni’s most recent County budget passed unanimously with no new taxes, fines, or fees.
Now look at the city’s alternative budget, championed by Alderman Reilly: more than a half a billion dollars in new taxes and fees, including a property tax hike.
Toni has held the line. Toni hasn’t raised property taxes in the 15 years she’s been in office.
Toni did the hard work to turn Cook County around: $800 million less in debt, real reserves, and pensions funded at 65% – more than double that of the city’s. That’s why Cook County has earned four credit rating upgrades in four years.
This is what responsible leadership looks like.
“It is time to abolish ICE. It is time to end the federal occupation of our communities.” – Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle
Untrained, masked, militarized federal forces are inflicting fear and trauma on our streets, acting at the direct orders of President Donald Trump and his allies. This is not law enforcement; it is federal brutality.
Toni has taken a stand to protect Cook County residents from these attacks. As Cook County Board President, she has ensured that County services remain accessible to all residents, regardless of immigration status and has consistently acted to shield our communities from federal overreach.
Toni leads with results, not rhetoric. She’s a leader who takes action with the record to prove it. In 2011, shortly after gaining office, Toni began taking action to stop ICE from terrorizing residents of Cook County. This started with the passage of the Welcoming County ordinance, which ended the County’s previous cooperation with ICE. More recently, Toni joined a petition urging the Chief Judge to ban ICE arrests in and around courthouses, which he did through an administrative order in early October of this year. In addition, Toni issued an executive order that prohibits the use of County owned property, resources, and personnel for civil immigration enforcement activities.
“I am committed to engaging with community organizations and advocacy groups to monitor enforcement practices, address gaps in policy, and provide safe, equitable access to County programs for immigrant communities.” – Toni Preckwinkle
Healthcare is one of Toni’s top priorities.
Preckwinkle made history by becoming the first government in the nation to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to cancel medical debt.
Her focus is on creative and innovative solutions to ensure Cook County residents have access to quality and comprehensive medical and mental healthcare.
Toni understands that a healthier community has robust, positive consequences:
- drop in violent and property crimes
- increased housing stability
- financial security and a reduction in overall healthcare costs
- boost in economic activity and job creation (job creation–healthcare professionals, administrators, technology, pharmaceuticals, etc.)
- higher educational attainment for children
- better, more coordinated public health response to emergencies like COVID19
Healthcare is more than treating illness. Healthy people have the freedom to pursue their dreams.
Toni erased almost $800 million of medical debt for over 600,000 Cook County residents.
More than half of the Cook County budget is designated to provide healthcare for Cook County residents.
“Cook County’s groundbreaking medical debt relief program didn’t just change lives in Illinois, it sparked a national movement,” said Ohio State Representative Michele Grim. “When I served on Toledo City Council, we looked to Cook County as the model for launching our own initiative. It has since become a blueprint for cities and states across the country. What’s remarkable is how this idea transcends politics. No one wants their neighbors drowning in debt for getting sick or injured. From red counties to blue cities, the political viability of medical debt relief is clear: it’s compassionate, it’s cost-effective, and it works.”
— Toni Preckwinkle's campaign website (March 5, 2026)
2022
Toni Preckwinkle did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Chicago 2019 Candidate Survey
Toni Preckwinkle did not complete Ballotpedia's Chicago candidates survey for 2019.
Campaign website
The following themes were found on Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website.
| “ |
EDUCATION I believe the greatest investment we can make is in our young people. Before I was an alderman, I was a history teacher in Chicago Public Schools and now my grandchildren are Chicago Public School students. We need to know that all of our city’s children are receiving the best education available, to make sure that what’s possible for some of our children, is the reality for all of our children. PUBLIC SAFETY During my time as Cook County President, we reduced the unnecessary and costly detention of non-violent offenders by more than 30 percent. I have been an outspoken in calling for accountability in the Chicago Police Department and a vocal advocate for juvenile justice reform; reducing the number of children tried as adults and the population in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. $15 MINIMUM WAGE A $15 minimum wage brings a family of four just above the poverty line. The fact that the minimum wage is below $15 is an atrocity. I am proposing an extension of the city’s minimum wage law to get us to a $15 minimum wage no later than July 2021. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE I believe clean water is a human right. It is intolerable that there are still 385,000 lead water service lines to homes. I have a plan to immediately put in place a program to inventory all lead service lines, disclose their location to residents, create a replacement schedule, and bundle replacements geographically for cost efficiencies and to minimize further displacement of lead into drinking water. LGBTQ The time is long overdue for Chicago to show dignity and respect for transgender lives. When Toni is mayor, she will work with Cook Co. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and the proposed Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to prioritize investigating the many unsolved murders of transgender women of color and designate the cases as suspected hate crimes. She’s also committed to reforming the Chicago Police Department’s policy on interactions and detainment of transgender individuals, in line with proposals by the ACLU, the Transformative Justice Law Project, and many others. In addition, Toni will require that there is transgender representation on the city’s Civilian Office and Police Accountability board. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY One of the biggest challenges facing the next mayor of Chicago is addressing the severe racial economic inequality in the city. To do this, the next mayor must focus significantly more attention and resources on the communities that have suffered from decades of disinvestment. Toni believes one of our first responsibility as government is to ensure that there is equitable public investment in public education, public safety, health care, transportation infrastructure, and housing in our communities. Our other responsibility, when necessary, is to intervene when private markets have failed due to misinformation and frankly, discrimination. |
” |
| —Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website[6] | ||
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Cook County Board of Commissioners President |
Officeholder Cook County Board of Commissioners President |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Who is Toni Preckwinkle?" February 26, 2019
- ↑ The History Makers, "The Honorable Toni Preckwinkle," accessed March 5, 2019
- ↑ Atlanta Black Star, "Jesse Jackson Jr.’s Vacated Congressional Seat Attracting Many Would-Be Successors," November 24, 2012
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Preckwinkle Running for 2nd Congressional? "Nonsense," December 4, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Toni Preckwinkle's 2019 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2019
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