# 2010 Cook County, Illinois, elections

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vte :
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 2, 2010.
Primaries were held February 2, 2010.
Elections were held for Assessor, Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 17 seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Cook County Board of Review district 1, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

## Election information

2010 was a midterm election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal (House and Senate) and those for state elections.

### Voter turnout

Voter turnout in Cook County during the primaries was 26.41%, with 761,626 ballots cast. The city of Chicago saw 27.282% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 25.54% turnout.
The general election saw 52.68% turnout, with 1,424,959 ballots cast. The city of Chicago saw 52.88% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 52.48% turnout.

## Assessor

In the 2010 Cook County Assessor election, incumbent Assessor James Houlihan, a Democrat, first appointed in 1997 who was thrice reelected, did not seek reelection to what would have been a fourth full term. Joseph Berrios was elected to succeed him.

### Primaries
#### Democratic
##### Candidates

* Joseph Berrios, member of the Cook County Board of Review
* Raymond A. Figueroa, former judge of the Cook County Circuit Court and former Chicago alderman
* Robert Shaw, former member of the Cook County Board of Review and former Chicago alderman
Additionally, Andrea Raila had been a candidate before withdrawing from the race.

##### Newspapers

* Chicago Sun-Times
* Chicago Tribune
* Daily Herald

##### Organizations

* Democratic Party of the 49th Ward

##### Politicians

* Roberto Maldonado, Chicago alderman

##### Newspapers

* Citizen Newspaper Group

##### Results

Cook County Assessor Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joseph Berrios | 203,397 | 39.14 |
| | Democratic | Robert Shaw | 177,155 | 34.09 |
| | Democratic | Raymond A. Figueroa | 139,164 | 26.78 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 519,716 | 100 |

#### Republican

Evanston Township assessor Sharon Strobeck-Eckersall won the Republican primary.
Cook County Assessor Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sharon Strobeck-Eckersall | 120,889 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 120,889 | 100 |

#### Green

Cook County Assessor Green primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Robert C. Grota | 2,098 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,098 | 100 |

### General election

Cook County Assessor election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joseph Berrios | 648,053 | 48.03 |
| | Independent | Forrest Claypool | 427,842 | 31.71 |
| | Republican | Sharon Strobeck-Eckersall | 237,955 | 17.64 |
| | Green | Robert C. Grota | 35,378 | 2.62 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,349,228 | 100 |

## Clerk

In the 2010 Cook County Clerk election, incumbent fifth-term Clerk David Orr, a Democrat, was reelected.

### Primaries
#### Democratic

Cook County Clerk Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | David D. Orr (incumbent) | 502,817 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 502,817 | 100 |

#### Republican

Cook County Clerk Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Angel Garcia | 122,570 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 122,570 | 100 |

#### Green

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.

### General election

Cook County Clerk election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | David D. Orr (incumbent) | 1,047,462 | 77.77 |
| | Republican | Angel Garcia | 299,449 | 22.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,346,911 | 100 |

## Sheriff

In the 2010 Cook County Sheriff election, incumbent first-term Sheriff Tom Dart, a Democrat, was reelected.

### Primaries
#### Democratic

Cook County Sheriff Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Thomas J. Dart (incumbent) | 397,844 | 76.37 |
| | Democratic | Sylvester E. Baker Jr. | 123,096 | 23.63 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 520,940 | 100 |

#### Republican

Cook County Sheriff Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Frederick Collins | 124,228 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 124,228 | 100 |

#### Green

Cook County Sheriff Green primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Marshall P. Lewis | 2,104 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,104 | 100 |

### General election

Cook County Sheriff election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Thomas J. Dart (incumbent) | 1,041,696 | 77.26 |
| | Republican | Frederick Collins | 257,682 | 19.11 |
| | Green | Marshall P. Lewis | 48,930 | 3.63 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,348,308 | 100 |

## Treasurer

In the 2010 Cook County Treasurer election, incumbent third-term Treasurer Maria Pappas, a Democrat, was reelected.

### Primaries
#### Democratic

Cook County Treasurer Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Maria Pappas (incumbent) | 493,724 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 493,724 | 100 |

#### Republican

Cook County Treasurer Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Carol A. Morse | 123,408 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123,408 | 100 |

#### Green

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.

### General election

Cook County Treasurer election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Maria Pappas (incumbent) | 1,042,318 | 77.21 |
| | Republican | Carol A. Morse | 307,612 | 22.79 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,349,930 | 100 |

## President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners

In the 2010 President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election, incumbent President Todd Stroger, a Democrat appointed in 2006 and elected outright to a full term later that year, lost reelection, being unseated in the Democratic primary by Toni Preckwinkle, who went on to win the general election.
Her victory in this election would make Preckwinkle the first woman to be popularly elected to the office of president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and the second woman overall to hold the position after Bobbie L. Steele.

### Primaries
#### Democratic
##### Candidates

* Dorothy A. Brown, Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court
* Terrence J. O'Brien, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago President
* Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago alderman
* Todd Stroger, incumbent President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners

##### Polls

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dorothy A. Brown | Forrest Claypool | Terrence J. O'Brien | Toni Preckwinkle | Todd Stroger | Other | Undecided |
| WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune | January 16–20, 2010 | 503 | ± 4.4% | 24% | – | 16% | 36% | 11% | – | 12% |
| WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune | December 2–8, 2009 | 502 | ± 4.4% | 29% | – | 11% | 20% | 14% | 2% | 11% |
| Cooper & Secrest Associates | November 11–17, 2009 | 605 | ± 4.0% | 29% | — | 15% | 16% | 13% | — | 27% |
| Fako & Associates for Supporters of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown | April 21–22, 2009 | 295 | ± 5.70% | 21% | 33% | — | 10% | 7% | — | |
| Bennett, Petts, & Normington for SEIU | March 23—25 2009 | | ± 4.3 | – | 28% | – | 18% | 23% | – | 36% |

##### Results

President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Toni Preckwinkle | 281,905 | 48.99 |
| | Democratic | Terrence J. O'Brien | 131,896 | 22.92 |
| | Democratic | Dorothy A. Brown | 83,150 | 14.45 |
| | Democratic | Todd H. Stroger (incumbent) | 78,532 | 13.65 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 575,483 | 100 |

#### Republican
##### Candidates

* John Garrido III, Chicago Police Department officer
* Roger A. Keats, former Illinois State Senator and former Illinois State Representative

##### Results

President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Roger A. Keats | 94,398 | 68.71 |
| | Republican | John Garrido III | 42,986 | 31.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 575,483 | 100 |

#### Green
##### Candidates

* Thomas Tresser, activist

##### Results

President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Green primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Thomas Tresser | 2,001 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,001 | 100 |

### General election

President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Toni Preckwinkle | 939,056 | 69.54 |
| | Republican | Roger A. Keats | 357,070 | 26.44 |
| | Green | Thomas Tresser | 54,273 | 4.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,350,399 | 100 |

## Cook County Board of Commissioners

The 2010 Cook County Board of Commissioners election saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms.

## Cook County Board of Review

In the 2010 Cook County Board of Review election, one seat, Democratic-held, out of its three seats was up for election.
The Cook County Board of Review has its three seats rotate the length of terms. In a staggered fashion (in which no two seats have coinciding two-year terms), the seats rotate between two consecutive four-year terms and a two-year term.

### 1st district

Incumbent first-term member Brendan Houlihan, a Democrat who had been elected in 2006, lost reelection to Republican Dan Patlak. This election was to a two-year term.

#### Primaries
##### Democratic

Cook County Board of Review 1st district Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Brendan F. Houlihan (incumbent) | 109,750 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 109,750 | 100 |

##### Republican

Cook County Board of Review 1st district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dan Patlak | 48,218 | 52.51 |
| | Republican | Sean M. Morrison | 43,600 | 47.49 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 91,818 | 100 |

##### Green

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.

#### General election

Cook County Board of Review 1st district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dan Patlak | 256,891 | 51.69 |
| | Democratic | Brendan F. Houlihan (incumbent) | 240,070 | 48.31 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 496,961 | 100 |

## Water Reclamation District Board

In the 2010 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election, three of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board were up for election in an at-large race. Since three six-year seats were up for election, voters could vote for up to three candidates and the top-three finishers would win.
Two of the incumbents for the three seats were seeking reelection, Democrats Barbara McGowan and Mariyana Spyropoulos. Each won reelection, joined by fellow Democrat Michael A. Alvarez in winning election.

### Primaries
#### Democratic

Water Reclamation District Board election Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Mariyana T. Spyropoulos (incumbent) | 180,730 | 14.78 |
| | Democratic | Barbara McGowan (incumbent) | 179,955 | 14.72 |
| | Democratic | Michael A. Alvarez | 158,172 | 12.94 |
| | Democratic | Kari K. Steele | 141,649 | 11.59 |
| | Democratic | Todd Connor | 130,383 | 10.66 |
| | Democratic | Maureen Kelly | 123,590 | 10.11 |
| | Democratic | Kathleen Mary O'Reilley | 110,810 | 9.06 |
| | Democratic | Wallace Davis, III | 98,694 | 8.07 |
| | Democratic | Stella B. Black | 98,588 | 8.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,222,571 | 100 |

#### Republican

Water Reclamation District Board election Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Paul Chialdikas | 101,817 | 61.44 |
| | Republican | Jimmy Lee Tillman II | 63,914 | 38.56 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 165,731 | 100 |

#### Green

Water Reclamation District Board election Green primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Green | Diana Horton | 1,611 | 37.08 |
| | Green | John "Jack" Ailey | 1,393 | 32.06 |
| | Green | Nadine Bopp | 1,341 | 30.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,345 | 100 |

### General election

Water Reclamation District Board election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Michael A. Alvarez | 679,058 | 23.10 |
| | Democratic | Mariyana T. Spyropoulos (incumbent) | 669,036 | 22.76 |
| | Democratic | Barbara McGowan (incumbent) | 659,353 | 22.43 |
| | Republican | Paul Chialdikas | 380,787 | 12.95 |
| | Republican | Jimmy Lee Tillman II | 227,549 | 7.74 |
| | Green | Diana Horton | 141,943 | 4.83 |
| | Green | John "Jack" Ailey | 93,301 | 3.17 |
| | Green | Nadine Bopp | 88,834 | 3.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,939,861 | 100 |

## Judicial elections

8 judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County were up for partisan elections due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.
13 subcircuit courts judgeships were also up for partisan elections due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.

## Other elections

Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect the Democratic, Republican, and Green committeemen for the suburban townships.