Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, State's Attorney, Board of Review districts 2 and 3, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.
2012 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 and House) and those for state elections.
Voter turnout[]
Voter turnout in Cook County during the primaries was 47.95%, with 1,274,569 ballots cast. Among these, 1,091,008 Democratic, 200,750 Republican, 112 Green, 4 Moderate, and 2,125 nonpartisan primary ballots were cast. The city of Chicago saw 52.70% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 43.3% turnout.[3][4][5]
The general election saw 73.71% turnout, with 2,162,240 ballots cast. Chicago saw 73.87% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 73.54% turnout.[1][2]
Clerk of the Circuit Court[]
2008 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election
In the 2008 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election, incumbent Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore, a Democrat, was reelected. Moore had first been appointed in 1999 (after Jesse White resigned to become Illinois Secretary of State), and had been elected to two full-terms.
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Cook County Recorder of Deeds Democratic primary[3]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Eugene "Gene" Moore (incumbent)
521,163
61.12
Democratic
Ed H. Smith
331,511
38.88
Total votes
852,674
100
Republican[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.[3] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Gregory Goldstein.
Green[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.[3] The Green Party ultimately nominated Terrence A. Gilhooly
In the 2008 Cook County State's Attorney election, incumbent third-term State's Attorney Richard A. Devine, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Democrat Anita Alvarez was elected to succeed him.
Alvarez became the first Hispanic woman elected to this position,[6] after also having been the first Latina to win the Democratic nomination for the office.[7][8]
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Cook County State’s Attorney Democratic primary[3]
2 of 3 seats on the Cook County Board of Review 2 seats needed for a majority
First party
Second party
Party
Democratic
Republican
Seats before
3
0
Seats after
3
0
Seat change
Seats up
2
0
Races won
2
0
In the 2008 Cook County Board of Review election, two seats, both Democratic-held, were up for election. Both incumbents won reelection.
The Cook County Board of Review has its three seats rotate the length of terms. In a staggered fashion (in which no two seats have coinciding two-year terms), the seats rotate between two consecutive four-year terms and a two-year term.[9]
2nd district[]
See also: Cook County Board of Review 2nd district
Incumbent third-term member Joseph Berrios, a Democrat last reelected in 2006, was reelected. Berrios had served since the Board of Review was constituted in 1998, and had served on its predecessor organization, the Cook County Board of Appeals, for another ten years. This election was to a four-year term.[9]
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Cook County Board of Review 2nd district Democratic primary[3]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Joseph Berrios (incumbent)
153,053
58.65
Democratic
Jay Paul Deratany
107,889
41.35
Total votes
260,942
100
Republican[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.[3] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Lauren Elizabeth McCracken-Quirk.
Green[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.[3] The Green Party ultimately nominated Howard Kaplan.
General election[]
Cook County Board of Review 2nd district election[1][2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Joseph Berrios (incumbent)
370,380
69.94
Republican
Lauren Elizabeth McCracken-Quirk
108,138
20.42
Green
Howard Kaplan
51,088
9.65
Total votes
529,606
100
3rd district[]
See also: Cook County Board of Review 3rd district
Incumbent first-term member Larry Rogers, Jr., a Democrat elected in 2004, was reelected. This election was to a four-year term.[9]
Primaries[]
Democratic[]
Cook County Board of Review 3rd district Democratic primary[3]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Larry R. Rogers, Jr. (incumbent)
323,842
100
Total votes
323,842
100
Republican[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.[3] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Lionel Garcia.
Green[]
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Green primary.[3] The Green Party ultimately nominated Antonne "Tony" Cox.
General election[]
Cook County Board of Review 3rd district election[1][2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Larry R. Rogers, Jr. (incumbent)
573,194
88.69
Republican
Lionel Garcia
49,680
7.69
Green
Antonne "Tony" Cox
23,455
3.63
Total votes
646,329
100
Water Reclamation District Board[]
2008 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election
← 2006
November 4, 2008
2010 →
3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 5 seats needed for a majority
First party
Second party
Third party
Party
Democratic
Republican
Green
Seats before
9
0
0
Seats after
9
0
0
Seat change
Seats up
3
0
0
Races won
3
0
0
In the 2008 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.
Judicial elections[]
Partisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County due to vacancies.[1][2] Other judgeships had retention elections.
Partistan elections were also held for subcircuit courts judgeships due to vacancies.[1][2] Other judgeships had retention elections.
Other elections[]
Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republican committeemen for the wards of Chicago.[10]