Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke claimed victory in the Cook County State’s Attorney race, defeating Republican Bob Fioretti and Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski, as reported by WGN-TV. Securing 65% of votes to Fioretti’s 31% and Kopinski’s 4%, Burke fills the seat left open by Kim Foxx, who chose not to seek re-election after her term ends.
O’Neill Burke, a former appellate judge, outlined a vision of unity and reform for criminal justice in Cook County. “I ran for this office because I had a stubborn belief that we could make Cook County safer and build a justice system that is fair and truly works for everyone,” she said in a statement obtained by WGN-TV. Also in her plan is to introduce an Education Unit and recruit lawyers nationwide.
NBC Chicago reports that O’Neill Burke’s career includes a decade in the SAO, defense attorney, circuit court judge, and appellate court judge roles. Her election brings a promised focus on heavier penalties for gun-related crimes and bolstering the prosecutor’s office staff.
Her opponent, Fioretti, a former alderman and Democrat-turned-Republican, ran on a platform of reverting to a cash bail system and stricter enforcement of gun laws. Fioretti accused the prior administration of being soft on crime and claimed he would “break the cycle of crime and corruption and reestablish the rule of law,” as told to WGN-TV.
Burke’s victory marks a shift in Cook County’s prosecutorial approach. She rejected an endorsement from John Catanzara, the president of Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police, highlighting her commitment to an independent path. As the office turns over from Foxx’s controversial tenure, all eyes will be on Burke’s handling of the role, from street-level crimes to the broader criminal justice strategies on which she campaigned.
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