Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, State's Attorney, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.
1992 was a presidential election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal races (President, House, and Senate) and those for state elections.
Voter turnout[]
Primary election[]
Turnout in the primaries was 30.39%, with 1,174,298 ballots cast.[3] Chicago saw 697,781 ballots cast, and suburban Cook County saw 40.20% turnout (with 476,517 ballots cast).[2][4][5]
The general election saw turnout of 75.21%, with 2,199,608 ballots cast.[4] Chicago saw 1,137,379 ballots cast, and suburban Cook County saw 75.88% turnout (with 1,062,229 ballots cast).[1][5]
Straight-ticket voting[]
Ballots had a straight-ticket voting option in 1992.[1]
In the 1992 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election, incumbent first-term clerk Aurelia Pucinski, a Democrat, was reelected.
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Aurelia Marie Pucinski (incumbent)
543,705
100
Total votes
543,705
100
Republican[]
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Republican primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Herbert T. Schumann, Jr.
146,046
100
Total votes
146,046
100
General election[]
Pucinski defeated Cook County commissioner and Palos Township Republican Organization chairman Herbert T. Schumann, Jr. and Harold Washington Party nominee Dee Jones.
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election[1]
In the 1992 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election, incumbent first-term recorder of deeds Carol Mosely Braun, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, instead running for United States Senate. Democrat Jesse White was elected to succeed her.
White's election made him the second African-American, after Moseley Braun herself, and first African-American man to hold the office of Cook County recorder of deeds.[6]
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Cook County Recorder of Deeds Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Jesse C. White, Jr.
286,882
41.18
Democratic
Mary "O'Hara" Considine
253,554
36.40
Democratic
Bobbie L. Steele
156,156
22.42
Total votes
696,592
100
Republican[]
Cook County Recorder of Deeds Republican primary[2]
In the 1992 Cook County State's Attorney election, incumbent state's attorney Jack O'Malley, a Republican first elected in a special election in 1990, won reelection to a full term.
This is the last time that a Republican has won election to a Cook County executive office.
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Chicago alderman Patrick J. O'Connor defeated former assistant state's attorney Jim Gierach, Kenneth A. Malatesta, and public guardian Patrick T. Murphy.[2][7][8]
Cook County State’s Attorney Democratic primary[2]
1992 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election
← 1990
November 3, 1992
1994 →
3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
In the 1992 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 election.[1] All three Democratic nominees won.[1]
Judicial elections[]
Pasrtisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County due to vacancies.[1]Retention elections were also held for the Circuit Court.[1]
Partisan elections were also held for subcircuit courts judgeships due to vacancies.[1] Retention elections were held for other judgeships.[1]
Ballot questions[]
One ballot question was included on ballots county-wide during the November general election, and another was included in the entirety of suburban Cook County (but not in the city of Chicago).
National Health Insurance (advisory referendum)[]
An advisory referendum on national health insurance was included on ballots county-wide.[1]
National Health Insurance advisory referendum[1][4]
Candidate
Votes
%
Yes
1,089,002
76.62
No
332,245
23.38
Total votes
1,421,247
100
Voter turnout
48.60%
911 (suburban advisory referendum)[]
An advisory referendum on 9-1-1 was included on ballots in suburban Cook County (the entire county excluding the city of Chicago.[1]
Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic, Republican, and Harold Washington Party committeemen for the wards of Chicago.[2]