2024 Cook County State's Attorney Primary

Elections

How Eileen O'Neill Burke won the razor-thin primary for Cook County state's attorney

The neck-and-neck Democratic race between O’Neill Burke and Clayton Harris III was marked by huge margins at the precinct level, data show.

By Alden Loury and Michael Puente | WBEZ

Elections

State's attorney primary victor O’Neill Burke says it's wrong to paint her as the tough-on-crime choice

Despite the nearly evenly split Democratic vote in the March 19 primary, O’Neill Burke said she won’t change her positions in the run-up to the November election, instead pinning the close race on “a question of messaging.”

By David Struett

Eileen O’Neill Burke speaks at her election night watch party at the RPM event space in River North.

Elections

It's over (finally)! Ten days later, O’Neill Burke declares victory, Harris concedes in state's attorney primary

After almost two weeks of uncertainty, Eileen O’Neill Burke edged out Clayton Harris III for the Democratic nomination, with mail ballots tallied Friday sealing the most hotly contested race of the primary a full 10 days after the polls closed. The Associated Press called the race over — and the two candidates agreed.

By Mitchell Armentrout and Matthew Hendrickson

Eileen O'Neill Burke (left) speaks with reporters during a campaign stop at Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen on Election Day; Clayton Harris III (right) speaks at Taste 222 in the West Loop on Election Night.

Elections

Harris edges a few votes closer to O’Neill Burke as state's attorney primary nears counting finish line

Eileen O’Neill Burke is leading Clayton Harris III, 50.15% to 49.85%, a margin that changed only by hundredths of a percentage point, after city and suburban officials tallied more mail-in ballots Thursday.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Clayton Harris III (left) and Eileen O'Neill Burke (rght) campaign for Cook County state's attorney on election day.

Elections

Ebb turns to slow for O'Neill Burke, whose thinning lead thickens ever so slightly

The latest batch of city and suburban mail-in ballots in the Cook County state’s attorney’s race show Eileen O’Neill Burke leading Clayton Harris III by 1,637 votes, up 39 since Tuesday.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Clayton Harris III (left) and Eileen O'Neill Burke (right) answer reporters’ questions after a debate during the Cook County state’s attorney’s race at ABC7 Studios in February.

Elections

One week and half a million votes later, still no Democratic nominee for Cook County state’s attorney

Unofficial results show Eileen O’Neill Burke now leads Clayton Harris III 50.15% to 49.85%. Both campaigns say they are prepared for next steps in the contest.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Elections

Mail ballots whittle O'Neill Burke's lead over Harris in state's attorney race for 6th straight day

Based on unofficial results, O’Neill Burke now leads Harris 50.16% to 49.84%. They are separated by less than 1,700 votes.

By Emmanuel Camarillo and Sophie Sherry

Elections

City mail vote slices O'Neill Burke's lead over Harris in state’s attorney race

More mail-in ballots were counted Sunday, leaving 2,015 votes separating Harris and Burke. The two were separated by 4,771 votes after Saturday’s count. Burke is leading Harris 50.19% to 49.81% overall.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Elections

Mail ballots trickling in cut Eileen O'Neill Burke’s lead over Clayton Harris in Cook County state's attorney race

She’s easily ahead in the suburbs, while Harris has a narrow edge in Chicago. On Friday, thanks to the counting of mail ballots from Chicago voters, Harris had a net gain of 1,366 votes.

By Matthew Hendrickson

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, dressed in a blue suit jacket, looks pensive at the microphone during a luncheon.

Politics

Legacy lap: Kim Foxx reflects on growing up in Cabrini, leading 'difficult conversations’ with no ‘simple answers’

The Cook County State’s Attorney said Tuesday’s historically low turnout was “deeply concerning,” saying that it “tells me that we have an electorate that has not been engaged and that’s very troubling, not just for the state’s attorney’s race, but for our democracy as a whole.”

By Matthew Hendrickson and Sophie Sherry

Clayton Harris III speaks at his election night party at Taste 222 in the West Loop, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Eileen O’Neill Burke waits to walk on stage at her election night watch party at the RPM event space in River North, Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Elections

Winner of Cook County state's attorney primary may not be decided until end of the week — or later

Some 100,000 votes or more are still to be counted in the close race, including votes cast in 11 Chicago precincts and mail-in ballots.

By Matthew Hendrickson

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates (third from right) looks on as Mayor Brandon Johnson greets supporters at Brighton Park Elementary School last year.

Elections

Progress report? Election brings mix of cheers and tears for Chicago progressives

While candidates backed by the Chicago Teachers Union won many of their primary races Tuesday, the city’s left-leaning political movement hit a major bump with the apparent loss on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s key ballot initiative, while the Cook County state’s attorney race hangs in the balance.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Running against each other in the Democratic March 19 primary for Cook County state’s attorney are Clayton Harris III and Eileen O’Neill Burke.

Elections

O’Neill Burke maintains narrow lead in heated race for Cook County state's attorney

Eileen O’Neill Burke, who stepped down from a seat on the appellate court to run for state’s attorney, took an early lead against her opponent Clayton Harris III.

By Matthew Hendrickson, Tom Schuba, and 1 more

Running against each other in the Democratic March 19 primary for Cook County state’s attorney are Eileen O’Neill Burke and Clayton Harris III.

Elections

Cook County state's attorney race down to the wire

Democrats appear to be leaning toward taking a tough-on-crime approach.

By Neil Steinberg

Elections

Nearly all of state's attorney hopeful Eileen O'Neill Burke's big funders are white men

The ex-judge’s top 25 individual donors include no African Americans and no women, a WBEZ analysis of her Illinois campaign filings finds.

By Chip Mitchell | WBEZ

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara

Elections

Dem candidates for Cook County state's attorney distance themselves from FOP head's encouraging words

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said he voted for Eileen O’Neill Burke and encouraged officers in the union to do so. But he added that Burke’s opponent, Clayton Harris, would be “a step up” from State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who is not running for re-election.

By Matthew Hendrickson

Elections

With conservative donor help, O'Neill Burke widens fundraising lead in Cook County state's attorney primary

Eileen O’Neill Burke, who faces Clayton Harris III in the Democratic primary, has received hundreds of thousands from conservatives.

By Chip Mitchell | WBEZ and Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Elections

Who will replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s top prosecutor?

Running in the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney are Clayton Harris III, a university lecturer, and Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former Illinois Appellate Court judge.

By Matthew Hendrickson

Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke as she was about to file petitions in December for the primary race for Cook County state’s attorney.

The Watchdogs

Eileen O’Neill Burke would lose $211,000 yearly pension if elected Cook County state’s attorney. Here’s why.

Officeholders can keep taking a public pension if they aren’t working for the branch of government that’s paying that benefit. Seven primary candidates, including O’Neill Burke, are getting retirement pay from past offices.

By Mitchell Armentrout and Tim Novak

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaks Tuesday at a meeting of the Leaders Network at a podium in front of a brick wall, flanked on either side by people sitting at tables.

News

Kim Foxx touts accomplishing her ‘mission’ as Cook County state’s attorney: ‘No one drove me out of this job’

‘I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do next,’ she told a Tuesday meeting of the Leaders Network at the Columbus Park Refectory.

By David Struett