By Laaiba Mahmood
@redlineproject
Eileen O’Neill Burke addresses supporters at Moe’s Cantina in River North on Tuesday night. (Photo/Laaiba Mahmood)
Retired appellate court judge and former prosecutor Eileen O’Neill Burke claimed victory in the Cook County State’s Attorney race Tuesday night.
The Associated Press called the race shortly before 9 p.m. with 59% of votes counted. O’Neill Burke held 64.8% of the vote compared to 30.8% for Republican Bob Fioretti and 4.4% for Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski. Fioretti conceded the race soon after. O’Neill Burke will take office next month, replacing the controversial Kim Foxx, who didn’t run for reelection.
Attendees at her election night event at Moe’s Cantina enjoyed appetizers and an open bar. When early results were shown on TVs around the room, attendees cheered. John Burke, O’Neill Burke’s husband, introduced Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), who welcomed O’Neill Burke to the podium at the event.
“We all want to live in a community where we do not have a mass shooting on a regular basis,” O’Neill Burke said. “We all want to live in a community where people and businesses can thrive, where they are unencumbered by fear of being victimized. We all want to live in a community where children can go outside and play regardless of what ZIP code you live in. We all want that.”
O’Neill Burke referenced the recent killing of CPD officer Enrique Martinez in her speech. A big part of her campaign focused on getting assault weapons off the street.
“My heart is broken for the Martinez family today, but my spirit is not broken,” O’Neill Burke said. “We can get assault weapons off the street. We can make this community safer for everyone and we can build the best prosecutor’s office in the country where we set a new standard for integrity, effectiveness and innovation.”
Cathay Dunlap, a supporter of O’Neill Burke, said she trusts she to take on the role as Cook County State’s Attorney.
“I’ve known Eileen for decades and she’s extremely smart, very hardworking and highly principled,” Dunlap said.
O’Neill Burke ran on a platform of reducing gun violence, supporting community-based reformative justice programs and prioritizing transparency in the State’s Attorney’s office. She also plans to increase protections for reproductive rights.
O’Neill Burke and Fioretti had stark differences in their belief in ending cash bail, a policy which came into effect in Sept 2023 in Illinois under the SAFE-T Act, with O’Neill Burke being a vocal supporter of the measure.
Earlier this year, O’Neill Burke narrowly won the Democratic primary against Clayton Harris III by fewer than 1,600 votes. Despite the Cook County Democratic Party and progressives backing Harris in the primary, the party eventually supported O’Neill Burke.
During her campaign, she faced attacks from her opponents in the primary and faced questions on her role in a 1994 juvenile murder case she prosecuted.
O’Neill Burke also intends to continue operation of the office’s wrongful conviction unit.
“I will work tirelessly as your State’s Attorney,” O’Neill Burke said. “The State’s Attorney’s office has a noble mission to represent the victims, to uphold the law and to make justice accessible to everyone. That is a mission I will undertake with humility and dedication.”
Chicago Garda Pipes and Drums performs to end the night. #uicdigital pic.twitter.com/M77h55RWSu
— Laaiba (@LaaibaMahmood) November 6, 2024
Preview: Breakdown of the State’s Attorney Candidates