Democrats interested in running for Cook County offices in the 2026 election had the chance to speak to county party members in a pre-slating meeting held April 16 and 17. The party will officially slate and endorse its candidates for county and statewide offices in July.

Pre-slating is an opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves and present their credentials to the 80 committeepersons that will make the final decision on the endorsements in July. Each candidate gave a five-minute speech, after which committeepersons were able to ask questions. 

“It’s basically an opportunity for the committeepersons to get to know the candidates ahead of actually taking votes,” said  Jacob Kaplan, executive director of the Cook County Democratic Party. “Basically kind of a candidate Q and A session.” 

Party members heard from candidates for sheriff, county treasurer, county clerk, county board president, county assessor, county Board of Review, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Circuit Court over the two-day event. 

People who did not speak at the event could still decide to run in the primary and submit their names for consideration for the party’s endorsement during the July slating process. And people who submitted their name for pre-slating could decide not to run in the primary if they don’t get the party’s backing.

The Cook County Democratic Party’s endorsement, which comes with the party’s organizing and fundraising, is highly sought after in Cook County elections. The winners of the Democratic primaries generally go on to easily win the November general election. Kaplan said the party’s preferred candidates have a high success rate in the primary. 

“Anybody’s free to run, but the party endorsement, at least over these past few cycles, has been a pretty good harbinger of success,” he said. “Last time around in the 2024 primary, we won 21 of 23 races.

During the July slating meeting, committees for each level of government — including statewide, countywide and circuit court — will make recommendations to the full 80-person party committee on who the party should endorse. The committeepersons will then vote on their endorsement for each office.

The party will hold a similar process for statewide candidates during the two-day slating meeting in July, Kaplan said. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) announced on Wednesday he will not seek reelection to a sixth term in the Senate. U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill) and Lauren Underwood (D-Ill), as well as Lt. Gov. Julia Stratton, have been floated as potential candidates for his seat.

Incumbents speak at pre-slating meeting

Four incumbent countywide officers were the sole speakers for their offices during the pre-slating meeting. It’s still possible the candidates could face challengers for the primary election.

Incumbent Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart spoke on the first day of the pre-slating conference. Dart was first elected as Cook County sheriff in 2006. He served two terms in the state House of Representatives between 1998 and 2002. Dart held a reelection campaign kickoff fundraiser March 27. 

Incumbent Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas also spoke to committee members on April 16. She was elected to the post in 1998 and has won reelection six times.

Incumbent Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon appeared before the committee members on April 16. Gordon was elected as Cook County Clerk in 2024. Formerly a county commissioner, county Democrats tapped Gordon to run for the office in 2024 when incumbent Karen Yarbrough died after the March primary. Gordon also ran unsuccessfully in the 2020 Democratic primary for State Senate District 40, losing to Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Park Forest). 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle — who is also the Cook County Democratic Party Chair — spoke at the pre-slating meeting on April 16. She was first elected as president in 2010. Before that, she spent 20 years as a member of the Chicago City Council between 1991 and 2010. 

County assessor

Five candidates, including incumbent Fritz Kaegi, are seeking the county party’s endorsement for the office of county assessor, which oversees property taxes and assesses property values in the county.

Kaegi won election to the office in the 2018 primary against incumbent Joe Berrios — who, at the time, was also the chair of the County Democratic Party and had the party’s backing. Kaegi seized on findings that Berrios’ assessing system favored wealthy property owners and shifted the tax burden to low-income homeowners. Kaegi largely self-funded his previous campaigns.

Cook County Board of Review Comm. Samantha Steele (2) is among the four candidates interested in challenging Kaegi for the office. Steele was elected to the Cook County Board of Review in 2022 representing the 2nd District. Steele has worked in the assessment field for 20 years and was previously the county assessor in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. She worked for Kaegi in the Cook County Assessor’s Office between 2018 and 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

Steele was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in November 2024 after she crashed into two parked cars. She has contested the charge and told NBC 5 April 16 that she was not drunk during the incident.

Lyons Township Assessor Patrick Hynes is also seeking the party’s endorsement to run for the office. Hynes worked for the Cook County Assessor’s office from 1998 to 2021 as a residential field inspector. 

Timnetra Burruss, the Board of Review’s chief deputy commissioner, also spoke to party members about her interest in their endorsement for county assessor. Burruss became the administrator for the board’s staff in 2023, and spent 15 years as chief of staff to Cook County Board of Review Comm. Larry Rogers Jr.

Dana Pointer, Rogers’ director of community engagement, is also considering a run for the office and spoke to the party members during the pre-slating conference. Pointer joined the Board of Review staff in 2005 as a summer intern and has worked for Rogers’ office for 17 years, according to the board website.

Kaegi’s critics pointed to reports that he misclassified swaths of properties in recent years and said he had made tax bills unpredictable for businesses and homeowners, the Tribune reported. 

Board of Review District 1

Incumbent Board of Review Comm. George Cardenas (1) spoke to party members during the pre-slating conference and faced no potential challengers. Cardenas is seeking his second term on the board after being elected in 2022. Cardenas was a city alderman for the 12th Ward for close to 20 years before his election to the Board of Review. 

Board of Review District 2

Two candidates sought the endorsement from the party to the Board of Review’s 2nd District, which is currently held by Steele. Evanston City Clerk Stephanie Mendoza and political consultant and fundraiser Liz Nicholson spoke during the pre-slating about their interest in the position on April 16. 

Board of Review District 3 

Rogers, the incumbent commissioner for the Board of Review’s 3rd District, did not speak at the meeting, and no other candidates spoke to express interest in running for the seat. Rogers has previously said he may run against Kaegi or fund a challenger to him in 2026, the Tribune reported. 

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

Four incumbents spoke at the pre-slating meeting asking for the party’s endorsement to be reelected to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District: 

• Precious Brady-Davis
• Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda
• Cameron Davis
• Beth McElroy Kirkwood

Three are seeking a full six-year term while McElroy Kirkwood is running for a two-year term after being appointed to the board in 2024. Four other potential candidates spoke about their interest in the seats: 

• Daniel Pogorzelski, a former MWRD commissioner who lost his seat in the 2024 election
• Sarah Bury, a project manager at Beacon Hill Staffing Group
• James Janega, a managing partner at Growth Innovation Strategy Group
• Anthony Hargrove, a former dean of Chicago Public Schools

Circuit Court 

The following 36 people spoke at the meeting about their interest in four judicial vacancies  for the Cook County Circuit Court.  The vacancies are for the seats of Circuit Court Judges Paul A. Karkula, Mary Ellen Coghlan and William H. Hooks, who all retired in 2024; and Cynthia Y. Cobbs, who was elected to the Appellate Court in 2024.

• David Badillo
• Dan Balanoff
• Amy Crawford
• Gina Crumble
• Ava George Stewart
• Ashley Greer Shambley
• Kelly Guzman
• Luke Hajzl
• Mischelle Luckett
• Gregory Mitchell
• Ginger Odom
• Jennifer Sender
• Anna Sedelmaier
• Steve McKenzie