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Remains neutral in Cook County Board President race, holds decision on Commissioners until after important budget vote The Chicago area’s largest labor organization today endorsed candidates in the upcoming February 2 Primary Election for Cook County offices and in the judiciary. The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) made no endorsement for County Board President in a field that includes several candidates who have strong records of standing up for working men and women. Dorothy Brown, Terrence O’Brien, Toni Preckwinkle and Todd Stroger all sought the endorsement of the CFL. The CFL postponed making any endorsements for Cook County Board of Commissioners until after an important budget vote tentatively scheduled for next Monday. The vote would be whether to repeal a portion of the county sales tax creating a budget deficit that would harm county services and the frontline workers who provide them. “It would be premature for the Chicago Federation of Labor to endorse candidates for the county board with this measure looming overhead,” said CFL President Dennis Gannon. “The county budget is about vital services and the frontline workers who provide them to residents. We cannot endorse individuals who plan to balance the budget by slashing services and laying off men and women for political gain during an election year.”
The CFL will consider Monday’s vote as part of the Commissioners’ complete record on issues that affect working families. One of those issues includes a vote to ban regulated video gaming in unincorporated Cook County at the expense of Illinois’ first capital bill in ten years. Revenue from video gaming machines makes up approximately-one third of the funding for the Illinois Jobs Now plan that would create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next several years improving the state’s infrastructure. “Working families in Cook County deserve an advocate who will stand up for job creation and fairness in the workplace,” said Gannon. “With jobs scarce and people facing financial disaster, they need it now more than ever. That is what the CFL and our affiliated unions will do in this election. We’re motivated to make a difference on February 2 for candidates who stand up for working people.” The Chicago Federation of Labor is the central labor body covering Chicago and Cook County. The CFL has 300 affiliated labor unions comprised of approximately half a million union members. The endorsements were decided by the CFL Committee on Political Education, with delegates from all affiliated unions. February 2 Primary Election Endorsements Cook County Board President No Endorsement Cook County Commissioner Endorsements on hold Cook County Clerk David D. Orr (D) Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (D) Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart (D) Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Michael A. Alvarez (D) Mariyana T. Spyropolous (D) Barbara McGowan (D) Board of Review 1st District Brendan F. Houlihan (D) Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios (D) 1st Appellate – McNulty Vacancy Jim Ryan 1st Appellate – O’Malley Vacancy Thomas L. Hogan 1st Appellate – South Vacancy Mary Katherine Rochford Cook Circuit – Berland Vacancy William H. Hooks Cook Circuit – Bronstein Vacancy Terry MacCarthy Cook Circuit – Dolan Vacancy Linda J. Pauel Cook Circuit – Hayes Vacancy Raymond W. Mitchell Cook Circuit – Kelley Vacancy John Patrick Callahan, Jr. Cook Circuit – O’Malley Vacancy Thomas V. Lyons Cook Circuit – Riley Vacancy James Michael Bailey Cook Circuit – 1st Subcircuit – Coleman Vacancy Thaddeus L. Wilson Cook Circuit – 1st Subcircuit – Steele Vacancy Michelle Hugghis Flagg Cook Circuit – 1st Subcircuit – A Vacancy No Endorsement Cook Circuit – 3rd Subcircuit – Carmody, Jr. Vacancy Allen F. Murphy Cook Circuit – 3rd Subcircuit – Darcy Vacancy Edward Harmening Cook Circuit – 3rd Subcircuit – A Vacancy Daniel Malone Cook Circuit – 9th Subcircuit – Otaka Vacancy Abbey Fishman Romanek Cook Circuit –9th Subcircuit – A Vacancy Michael Ian Bender Cook Circuit – 11th Subcircuit – Riley Vacancy Steven J. Fruth Cook Circuit – 14th Subcircuit – A Vacancy Daniel James Pierce Cook Circuit – 15th Subcircuit – Lipinski Vacancy Linzey D. Jones Cook Circuit – 15th Subcircuit – Panichi Vacancy George F. Scully Cook Circuit – 15th Subcircuit – Phelan Vacancy John C. Griffin ### |
