Eileen O’Neill Burke, a Democrat and retired appellate judge, defeated a more liberal candidate in last week’s primary for the top prosecutor position in Cook County, Illinois, in response to The Associated Press.
The result got here after greater than per week of counting votes, including postal votes that would not be reported on Election Day.
Judge O’Neill Burke is anticipated to interchange Kim Foxx, the county’s state’s attorney, who took office in 2016 promising to rework the criminal justice system on a progressive platform. After two terms, she decided to not run for re-election this 12 months.
Justice O’Neill Burke’s victory was widely seen as a departure from Ms. Foxx’s approach. Her opponent, Clayton Harris III, had Ms. Foxx as her rival support.
Judge O’Neill Burke will face Republican opponent Bob Fioretti, a former councilman, in the November general election. However, Cook County, which incorporates Chicago, is basically Democratic, and the winner of the Democratic primary is widely favored to win the general election.
Crime is a serious political issue for voters in Chicago and other cities, where shootings and homicides have spiked during the pandemic but have declined over the past two years. Progressive prosecutors, including Ms. Foxx, have been pilloried for policies that moderate and conservative voters deemed too lenient on criminals.
George Gascón, the Los Angeles County district attorney, faces a tricky re-election race in November. Chesa Boudin, the progressive district attorney in San Francisco, was ousted by voters in the 2022 recall election. In Nueces County, Texas, prosecutor Mark Gonzalez resigned amid conservative efforts to remove him from office.
At times, the Chicago campaign gave the look of a referendum on Ms. Foxx, whose tenure as Cook County’s top prosecutor brought promised changes to parts of the criminal justice system but in addition drew sharp criticism.
While leading the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office, Ms. Foxx supported the measure passed in Illinois last 12 months that eliminated money bail. She faced fire for her handling of the case against Jussie Smollett, the TV star found guilty of falsely reporting to Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.
Ms. Foxx’s office initially dropped charges against Mr. Smollett for filing a false police report, saying he didn’t pose a threat to public safety. However, the judge later appointed a special prosecutor to analyze the case, and the charges were reinstated.
During the campaign, Judge O’Neill Burke said her policy would mark a change from Ms Foxx’s approach and that it could be tougher on offenders convicted of minor offenses. Judge O’Neill Burke promised to reverse a policy established by Ms. Foxx to prosecute retail theft as against the law only when the value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000.
“The current state’s attorney does not believe in accountability,” Judge O’Neill Burke said at a campaign event last week.
Mr. Harris praised Ms. Foxx’s achievements, but in addition said in interviews that she did intended to “set your own course in this office.”
In many respects, each candidates offered similar agendas: Mr. Harris and Judge O’Neill Burke said they supported the state’s decision to finish money bail, and each promised to proceed the restorative justice efforts that Ms. Foxx advocated.
Their support got here from various corners of the region’s Democratic Party and a few Republicans. Mr. Harris has received support from city union officials and the progressive establishment, including the Chicago Teachers Union and Toni Preckwinkle, chairwoman of the Cook County Democratic Party.
Judge O’Neill Burke has gained more support and donors from the business community, including six-figure donations from financial and restaurant industry executives.
Both candidates highlighted the contrast of their experiences: Judge O’Neill Burke spent many years as a lawyer and judge, while Mr. Harris’ profession focused more on teaching and government work.
In the weeks before the election, voters in Cook County seemed discouraged from the race. IN vote of voters revealed earlier this month, nearly 60 percent said they were undecided. The rest was divided equally between Mr Harris and Judge O’Neill Burke.
