In the 2020 Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court election was held on November 3, 2020. Democratic nominee Iris Martinez was elected to succeed outgoing fifth-term clerk Dorothy A. Brown, a Democrat who did not seek re-election.
Background
The incumbent fifth-term clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Dorothy Brown, announced in 2019 that she would not run for re-election. Brown had been the subject of a federal corruption investigation when she made the announcement.
The last Republican to hold this office was Brown's immediate predecessor Aurelia Pucinski, who, while elected a Democrat in each of her elections to the office, had switched parties in her final term.
The election was a component of the 2020 Cook County, Illinois, elections. It coincided with the 2020 United States presidential election (including its primaries, which coincided with Illinois's Democratic, Republican presidential primaries), as well as the 2020 Illinois elections.
Democratic primary Candidates for Democratic primary The following candidates ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Clerk of the Circuit Court: CandidateExperienceCampaignRefMichael CabonargiMember of Cook County Board of Review for the 2nd districtWebsiteRichard BoykinFormer member of Cook County Board of Commissioners for the 1st districtWebsiteIris MartinezIllinois State Senator for the 20th districtJacob MeisterCivil rights lawyerCandidate for Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016Candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010Website
Withdrew Theresa Siaw, candidate for 29th ward alderman in 2019 Mariyana Spyropoulos, member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners Todd Stroger, former president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners –withdrew amid challenge to his ballot petitions
Endorsements in Democratic primary
Polls for Democratic primary Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RichardBoykin MichaelCabonargi Iris Y.Martinez JacobMeister Undecided ALG Research February 9–12, 2020 500 ± 4.4 12% 4% 15% 3% 65% Fako Research & Strategies (Boykin) Late-January, 2020 13% 4% 11% 3% 69%
Campaign of Democratic primary All four candidates in the Democratic Party primary for the office pledged to modernize the office and to address corruption.
Results of Democratic primary
Republican primary Candidates for Republican primary The following candidates ran for the Republican party nomination for Clerk of the Circuit Court: CandidateExperienceCampaignRefBarbara Ruth BellarCandidate for Illinois State Senate in 2012Candidate for Illinois House of Representatives in 2010
Write-in candidates Richard Mayers, perennial candidate and alleged white supremacist, write-in candidate for Chicago Mayor, City Clerk, Treasurer, and alderman in 2019; congressional candidate in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2016, 2018, and 2020; 1998 State House candidate; 1993 Berwyn city clerk and city treasurer candidate; write-in candidate for U.S. Senator in 2020; write-in candidate in 2020 Illinois Republican presidential primary
Results of Republican primary
General election Endorsements in general election
Results of general election
Martinez's 73.03% share of the vote was the most that any candidate had received for this office since the 2004. Bellar's 26.97% vote share was the worst performance by a major party (Democratic or Republican) nominee since that same election.
References