The Cook County Democratic Party on Friday tapped Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon as the party’s candidate to run in the November general election this fall for Cook County clerk.
Gordon hopes to finish the rest of the term of the late Karen Yarbrough. Yarbrough had more than two years left in office when she died this month.
“I have some big shoes to fill,” Gordon said after the vote. “Karen Yarbrough was my mentor. She was everything. She was a game changer. She was a history maker.”
Gordon said she only got into the race a few days ago and captured a lot of union support.
The party also chose Cedric Giles, chief deputy clerk, to stay on as interim clerk through December.
Gordon, who lost in the Democratic primary for an Illinois state senate seat in 2020, bested four other nominees who were narrowed from a broader group of more than a dozen candidates, said Democratic Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle.
The other nominees were Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, Evanston Clerk Stephanie Mendoza, Giles and Susanne Atanus, a perennial political candidate who Preckwinkle said was only included as part of a way to give the other four candidates another round of votes among committee people. The ultimate vote for Gordon was unanimous. There was only one round of voting.
The Cook County Republican Party plans to slate its own candidate to face off against Gordon in November, said Cook County GOP chairman Sean Morrison.
The Cook County clerk has significant responsibility, overseeing suburban elections in an era where there are sharp divisions about trusting election results. The clerk’s office also houses vital records going back more than 100 years, including birth, death and marriage certificates and land deeds.
Chicago Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th Ward, championed Giles to hold down the fort until voters can have their say this fall.
“There is one other thing that I know about Karen,” Ervin said. “She don’t [give] checkbook permission over to too many people. … She had great trust and respect for you.”
The Democratic Party met on Friday inside the cavernous IBEW Local 134 hall on the South Side, offering a window into how things get done in local politics.
The 80 committeepeople who make up the Democratic Party spent roughly three hours (some by proxy) hearing pitches from candidates who touted their experience, personal stories and in some cases their friendships with Yarbrough. Those candidates ranged from well-known politicians, including three commissioners on the Cook County Board and an Illinois state senator, to a nursing home administrator and a fitness expert.
Committeepeople peppered candidates with questions, from their vision for the office to how they would address concerns that some of their constituents are having a hard time using Chicago CityKey as an ID to access records at the clerk’s office.
Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, grilled fellow state Sen. Napoleon Harris III, D-Harvey, about not supporting bills for reproductive rights and marriage equality, underpinning concerns that as clerk he would oversee an office that deals with sensitive documents.
“The reality is when we needed you, you weren’t there for us,” Cassidy said.
Harris countered that no one would be denied anything in the clerk’s office should he win the seat. He touted unity and respecting each other’s views.
“I agree with my wife, and I disagree with my wife,” Harris said. “I’m not there with her 100% of the time. She’s not with me 100% of the time. We don’t go get a divorce. We work it out.”
After the vote, Ervin said Gordon’s suburban footprint helped give her the edge — even though other nominees are also in the suburbs. Ald. Michael Rodriguez, who represents the 22nd Ward on the Southwest and West sides, pointed out Gordon’s support for reproductive rights and making sure migrants have access to services.
“She demonstrated a significant understanding of the position and what it needs,” Rodriguez said.
Ultimately Preckwinkle, who’s also president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, said she voted present because she had three commissioners vying for the clerk role among the more than a dozen candidates in the larger group. She said Gordon had significant support from the suburban and Black caucuses.
Kristen Schorsch covers public health and Cook County government for WBEZ.
