Local politicians are vying for a powerful office: Cook County clerk.
The county’s Democratic Party has to fill the vacancy after Karen Yarbrough died this month with more than two years left in her term.
What Does the Cook County Clerk Do?
In addition to being in charge of county records like marriage and death certificates, the clerk also oversees suburban elections. That means the official is hiring the “electoral machine that manages the elections,” ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said.
Who is Running to Replace Yarbrough?
Prospective Cook County clerks are sending in their resumes to the Cook County Democratic Party until 5 p.m. today.
The party’s 80 committeepersons are set to meet Friday to hear from candidates and to take two votes: one to appoint an interim clerk and another to nominate a candidate for the special election in November.
So far, names being tossed around include:
- 4th Ward Ald. Lamont Robinson, Yarbrough’s rumored choice
- Clayton Harris III, the former county State’s Attorney candidate
- Kari Steele, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District president
Former state lawmaker Karen Yarbrough, to the right of former Gov. Pat Quinn, was a sponsor on a bill to end the death penalty in Illinois in 2011 along with Kwame Raoul, John Cullerton, and Barbara Flynn Currie. (Nancy Stone / Tribune / Getty)
What Was Yarbrough’s Legacy?
Yarbrough had long wielded power in Maywood, which she previously represented in the Illinois General Assembly and where her father and husband both served as mayors.
As a state lawmaker, Yarbrough worked closely with Mike Madigan, eventually landing on the former Illinois House speaker’s leadership team. She was the first Black woman to be Cook County clerk.
Yarbrough, 73, died April 7 after being hospitalized for a medical condition. Fellow politicians have since paid tribute to her role in Illinois politics.
