The 1994 Cook County Board of Commissioners election was held on November 9, 1994. It was preceded by a primary election held on March 15, 1994. It coincided with other 1994 Cook County, Illinois, elections (including the election for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners). It saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms.
This was the first election for the Cook County Board of Commissioners conducted with individual districts, as previous elections had been conducted through two sets of at-large elections (one for ten seats from the city of Chicago and another for seven seats from suburban Cook County).
Six of those elected were new to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, though the number of seats that each party held remained unchanged.
Background and overview This was the first election for the Cook County Board of Commissioners that had members elected from single-member districts. Previous elections had been conducted through two sets of at-large elections (one for ten seats from the city of Chicago and another for seven seats from suburban Cook County).
Ninety candidates filed run ahead of the primaries. Six of those that won election were new to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The number of seats that each party won remained unchanged.
1st district
Danny K. Davis, an incumbent Democrat who had served a single term as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, was elected to the 1st district.
Primaries Democratic Davis faced no opponents in the Democratic primary.
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican Party primary.
Harold Washington Party
General election
2nd district
Bobbie L. Steele, an incumbent Democrat who had served two-terms as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, was elected to the 2nd district.
Primaries Democratic
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party
General election
3rd district
Jerry Butler, an incumbent Democrat who had served as a commissioner from Chicago at-large for two terms, was elected to the 3rd district.
Primaries Democratic
Republican The Republican primary was won by Clara Simms-Johnson, a child protective investigator for the Department of Children and Family Services, who ran unopposed.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
4th district
John Stroger, an incumbent Democrat who had served six terms as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, was elected to the 4th district.
Primaries Democratic
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party The Harold Washington Party primary was won by Bruce Crosby, a community activist.
General election
5th district
Deborah Sims, a Democrat, was elected to the 5th district.
Primaries Democratic Deborah Sims defeated Governors State University political science professor Robert Donaldson in the Democratic primary.
Republican Lawrence Ragland, an accountant, won the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party
General election
6th district
Barclay "Bud" Fleming, a Republican, was elected to the 6th district.
Primaries Democratic Worth Township supervisor Joan Patricia Murphy won the Democratic primary. Joan Patricia Murphy had defeated state senator Richard F. Kelly in the Democratic primary.
Republican Barclay "Bud" Fleming, an engineer who was the village president of Lynwood, won the Republican primary, defeating lawyer Helen Elizabeth Kelly as well as lawyer and East Hazel Crest village president Thomas Brown in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party
General election The district was regarded as a potential "swing district", with both major parties seeing a potential for victory in its election.
7th district
Joseph Mario Moreno, a Democrat, was elected to the 7th district.
Primaries Democratic
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
8th district
Roberto Maldonado, a Democrat, was elected to the 8th district.
Primaries Democratic
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
9th district
Peter N. Silvestri, a Republican, was elected to the 9th district.
Domico had beaten five other candidates in the Democratic primary.
Silvestri faced no opponents in the Republican primary.
Primaries Democratic Marco Domico, who had served two terms as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, won the Democratic primary over seven opponents.
Republican Elmwood Park village president Peter N. Silvestri won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election This district had been regarded as a "swing district", with both major parties being seen as having a chance of winning it.
10th district
Maria Pappas, an incumbent Democrat who had served a single term as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, was elected to the 10th district.
Primaries Democratic Pappas defeated three opponents to win the Democratic primary.
Republican Republican Party nominee John McNeal, an attorney and 48th Ward Republican committeeman, won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Harold Washington Party
General election
11th district
John P. Daley, an incumbent Democrat that had been appointed a commissioner from Chicago at-large in 1992, was elected to the 11th district.
Primaries Democratic John P. Daley defeated communications consultant Dennis Baker in the Democratic primary.
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
12th district
Ted Lechowicz, an incumbent Democrat who had served two terms as a commissioner from Chicago at-large, was elected to the 12th district.
Primaries Democratic Ted Lechowicz defeated two opponents in the Democratic primary.
Republican No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
13th district
Calvin Sutker, a Democrat, was elected to the 13th district.
Primaries Democratic Former state representative Calvin Sutker defeated two opponents in the Democratic primary.
Republican Lourdes Gagui Mon, an educator, won Republican primary.
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
14th district
Richard Siebel, an incumbent Republican who had served several terms as a commissioner from suburban Cook County at-large, was elected to the 14th district. He defeated Democratic nominee Kelly Ann Sheehan.
In the Republican primary, Siebel defeated Palatine village president Rita Mullins.
Primaries Democratic No candidates ran in the Democratic primary. The Democratic Party ultimately nominated Kelly Ann Sheehan.
Republican
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
15th district
Carl R. Hansen, an incumbent Republican who had served five terms as a commissioner from suburban Cook County at-large, was elected to the 15th district.
Primaries Democratic No candidates ran in the Democratic primary.
Republican
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
16th district
Allan C. Carr, an incumbent Republican who had served as a commissioner from suburban Cook County at-large.
Primaries Democratic Attorney Tony Peraica won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Republican
Harold Washington Party No candidates ran in the Harold Washington Party primary.
General election
17th district
Herb Schumann, an incumbent Republican who had served two terms as a commissioner from suburban Cook County at-large, was elected to the 17th district.
Primaries Democratic William Hurley, an insurance agent, won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Republican Herb Schumann defeated lawyer Teressa Nuccio in the Republican primary.
General election
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