Who is running for Cook County Board president in the 2026 election?
CHICAGO - Toni Preckwinkle has been a leader in Democratic politics in Chicago and Cook County for more than 30 years.
She’s served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council, as chair of the Cook County Democratic Party, and, since 2010, as the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
Preckwinkle, who turns 79 in March, is seeking a fifth term leading the county’s legislative body in the 2026 election. While she’s easily earned re-election over the past few election cycles, this year, Chicago Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) is challenging her in the Democratic primary race.
Preckwinkle has a long résumé of public service and progressive legislative accomplishments as head of a government body that represents more than 5 million people. But Reilly, 54, has taken aim at the growing county government budget and the surging property tax bills residents have been left with in recent years.
Primary Election Day in Illinois is March 17, with early voting beginning in early February.
RELATED: Illinois early voting gets underway for 2026 primary races
Here is a look at both major Democratic candidates and another Libertarian candidate. To be sure, the winner of the Democratic primary is very likely to win in November’s general election in a deep blue Cook County.
But first, it’s worth briefly explaining what the Cook County Board president does.
What does the county board president do?
The president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is the CEO of the county.
She and the 17 commissioners oversee and approve the county budget every year, which funds all aspects of county government, including the sheriff’s office, the court system, the state’s attorney’s office, and the county clerk’s office, among other key agencies. In the event of a tied vote on the board, the president may cast a vote for or against legislation.
Some of the large institutions run directly by the county include the Cook County Jail, Stroger Hospital, and the Cook County Forest Preserve.
The president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners is elected countywide to four-year terms.
Toni Preckwinkle (D)
Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, speaks during a job fair hosted by the Cook County government to support federal workers in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Thousands of private government cons
Preckwinkle has served as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners since 2010, when she was the first Black woman elected to the office.
During her tenure in office, she’s touted the improvement of the county government’s fiscal standing, the implementation of criminal justice reforms, and overseeing the nation’s largest public health and hospital system.
In recent years, Cook County officials have also implemented ambitious programs like forgiving more than $600 million in medical debt for more than half a million Cook County residents and providing guaranteed income to more than 3,000 households using pandemic relief funds.
Preckwinkle easily fended off a primary challenge in 2022 against former County Commissioner Richard Boykin with three-quarters of the vote before sailing to re-election against Republican Bob Fioretti.
Brendan Reilly (D)
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) is running in the Democratic primary for the Cook County Board president. (Brendan Reilly campaign)
Reilly has been a member of the Chicago City Council since 2007 and represents the 42nd Ward, which includes parts of the city’s downtown area in the Loop, Gold Coast, New Eastside, Streeterville, and River North.
He also has experience working as a staffer in the Illinois House of Representatives and as an executive for AT&T.
As alderman, Reilly has touted himself as an "independent" voice opposed to tax hikes amid the city’s perpetual financial challenges. He was a vocal opponent to a proposed property tax hike by Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2024 to close a ballooning budget deficit.
He’s also positioned himself as ideologically opposed to President Trump and an advocate for abortion rights.
When he launched his campaign to challenge Preckwinkle, he focused on criticizing county government under her tenure as "wasteful and inefficient," specifically pointing to the county budget nearly tripling since she took office. He’s pledged to improve public safety, transparency and expand housing on vacant lots.
Michael Murphy (L)
Murphy is running as a Libertarian candidate for Cook County Board president.
Murphy lives in Chicago's Austin neighborhood and has a background in information technology and systems management, according to his campaign website.
His campaign said Murphy is focused on transit reform, housing accessibility and food security.