The Cook County Clerk’s Race is Heating Up
The Cook County Circuit Court Clerk race is getting hotter by the day.
It all started when the Cook County Democratic Party yanked its support away from incumbent, Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown, after news reports surfaced last fall that FBI agents visited Brown’s home and seized her government-issued cell phone; and after a subpoena served on Brown and her husband Benton Cook III earlier this year asked for documents tied to one of his businesses.
Shortly afterwards, the Cook County Democratic Party endorsed Chicago Ald. Michele Harris (8th Ward) who announced in November that she would be running against Brown.
Activist Tio Hardiman then stepped into the ring. Former Chicago alderman Shirley Coleman and Atty. Jacob Meister jumped in as well, rounding out the race’s current landscape.
Aside from Harris, none of the candidates touted major endorsements.
But that changed on Sunday when Congressman Danny Davis (Dist.-7) and Ald. Jason Ervin (Ward-28th) boldly endorsed Brown.
“Dorothy Brown is the very best clerk that I’ve ever know that circuit to have in cook county and I am delighted to support her for reelection and I want to urge everybody else to vote for Dorothy Brown to be returned as the circuit clerk of Cook county,” Davis said in a 42 second Youtube video dated December 21, 2015.
Davis continued his praise of Brown at a press conference held Sunday saying, “Dorothy has been the most creative clerk...I don’t’ think anybody can disagree with that. I don’t know any instance where a person has taken an office and expanded the impact of that office to deal with some of the most pressing issues that face our society. Dorothy Brown has her finger on the pulse of the needs of the community.”
Ald. Ervin who also attended the conference praised Brown on the progress she has made so far as county clerk.
“The work that I’ve seen that office do, the expungement hearings, bringing the office to the community, it’s something that we never saw from the clerk’s office,” Ervin said. And for us to switch horses at this time I think will be detrimental to our communities. That’s why we whole heartedly support Dorothy Brown and her effort for re-election to be Clerk of the Circuit court and we want to continue to support the ideas that she brings to the table. That office has moved “leap frog” thousands of steps in the years that she has been clerk and we whole heartedly support her reelection.”
Brown, who definitely needed the endorsement from the powerful congressman, told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, "I am honored to receive these endorsements from Congressman Davis and Ald. Ervin. I believe having their support is pivotal to the success of my re-election because both Congressman Davis and Alderman Ervin are well respected and carry out their duties as elected officials with the highest level of integrity. Their endorsement, for me, is yet another form of validation, and confirmation to the citizens of Cook County that we share the same values. It also speaks to level of what I have been able to accomplish during my time as Clerk."
In the meantime Hardiman plans to win the race as a Democratic write-in candidate. He also claims that Harris contested the nearly twelve thousand petition signatures he submitted to the Cook County Board of Elections.
“My petitions were challenged by Michelle Harris and the “machine” sort to speak, and it was going to be too much work trying to go to hearing after hearing and the legal fees would become very expensive…so I decided to run as a write-in candidate. And I’m running all the way, there’s no turning back. I’m in it to win it and I’m hoping I can make history as one of the first write in candidates to secure 75,000 to 100000 votes….one thing that I have in my favor is that over 125,500 people voted for me when I ran for governor.”
Hardiman also told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper that he wishes Brown well in the race but has an issue with Harris.
“I have no issues with Dorothy Brown whatsoever, I think she’s a strong lady and an intelligent leader…but when it comes to Michelle Harris, when you look at her you’re looking at Rahm Emanuel. They had no reason to really challenge my nominating petitions…they didn’t challenge Jacob Meister or Dorothy Brown…They challenged me because I’m a threat.”
According to news reports, Coleman’s petition signatures are also being challenged by Harris.
Attempts to reach Ald. Harris were unsuccessful.
The Chicago Citizen Newspaper also contacted Meister’s campaign to see if Harris was also challenging his signatures but did not hear back from a spokesperson by press time.
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