1986 Cook County, Illinois, elections

← 1984 November 4, 1986 1988 →
Turnout	55.95%

TheCook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 4, 1986.^[1]

Primaries were held March 18, 1986.^[2]

Elections were held for the offices ofAssessor,Clerk,Sheriff,State's Attorney, Superintendent ofEducation Service Region,Treasurer,President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 17 seats of theCook County Board of Commissioners, both seats of theCook County Board of Appeals, 3 seats on theWater Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on theCircuit Court of Cook County.

1986 was amidterm election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal (Senate andHouse) and those forstate elections.

The general election saw turnout of 55.95%, with 1,476,370 ballots cast.^[1][3] Chicago saw 841,085 ballots cast, and suburban Cook County saw 635,2865 ballots cast.^[1]

Ballots had astraight-ticket voting option in 1986.^[1]

1986Cook County Assessor election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →
Turnout	50.30%[1][3]
Candidate Thomas Hynes Le Roy M. Graham Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 969,500 357,758 Percentage 73.05% 26.95%
Assessor before election Thomas Hynes Democratic Elected Assessor Thomas Hynes Democratic

In the1986Cook County Assessor election, incumbent third-term assessorThomas Hynes, a Democrat, was reelected.

By winning the Republican nomination, Le Roy M. Graham became the first black candidate to run countywide as a Republican nominee.^[4]

In the1986Cook County Clerk election, incumbent third-term clerkStanley Kusper, a Democrat, was reelected.

Incumbent Stanley Kusper defeated two challengers to win renomination.

The more successful of Kusper's two challengers was Jeanne Quinn, who four years earlier had become the first Democrat to be elected to theCook County Board of Commissioners from suburban Cook County in half a century. Instead of seeking reelection, she instead opted to launch a challenge to Kusper.^[1][5] Kusper's other challenger was 28-year-old millionaire businessman Patrick M. Finley.^[6]

Former Illinois state representativeDiana Nelson won the Republican primary.^[1][7]

1986Cook County Sheriff election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →
Turnout	52.30%[1][3]
Candidate James E. O'Grady Richard Elrod Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 706,659 673,233 Percentage 51.12% 48.79%
Sheriff before election Richard Elrod Democratic Elected Sheriff James E. O'Grady Republican

In the1986Cook County Sheriff election, incumbent fourth-term sheriffRichard Elrod, a Democrat, was defeated by RepublicanJames E. O'Grady.

O'Grady became the first Republican elected to a countywide executive office in Cook County sinceBernard Carey was elected to his final term asCook County State's Attorney in 1976.^[8]

O'Grady won the endorsement of theChicago Tribune for the general election.^[9]

O'Grady's victory came from winning the county's suburbs by a 2-1 margin. He also performed well in some of the ethnically white wards of Chicago, being able to cary 14 of the city's 50 wards.^[10]

In the1986 Superintendent of the Cook CountyEducation Service Region election, incumbent third-term superintendentRichard J. Martwick, a Democrat, was reelected.^[1][11]

No candidate ran in the Republican primary.^[2] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Tony Torres.^[1]

In the1986Cook County Treasurer election, incumbent third-term^[12] treasurerEdward J. Rosewell, a Democrat, was reelected.

1986President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →
Turnout	50.54%[1][3]
Candidate George Dunne Joseph D. Mathewson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 808,126 525,288 Percentage 60.61% 39.39%
President before election George Dunne Democratic Elected President George Dunne Democratic

In the1986President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election, incumbent presidentGeorge Dunne, a Democrat that had held the office since 1969, was reelected.

1986 Cook County Board of Commissioners election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →
All 17 seats on theCook County Board of Commissioners 9 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Democratic Republican Seats before 11 6 Seats won 10 7 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 6,766,182 3,689,203 Percentage 64.71% 35.29%

The1986Cook County Board of Commissioners election saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms in two sets of elections (ten elected from an election held in the city of Chicago and seven elected from and election held in suburban Cook County).

Democrats lost a seat, and Republicans, conversely, gained a seat.

Ten seats were elected from the City of Chicago.

Republican nomineeBernard Carey was replaced on the ballot by Robert P. Gooley, as Carey opted to instead run forIllinois Attorney General, replacing James T. Ryan as the Republican nominee forthat election.^[15]

1986 Cook County Board of Appeals election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1988 (special) →
2 of 2 seats on theCook County Board of Appeals
First party Second party   Party Democratic Republican Seats before 2 0 Seats after 2 0 Seat change

In the1986Cook County Board of Appeals election, both seats on the board were up for election. The election was anat-large election.

One incumbent Democrat,Pat Quinn, did not seek reelection, instead running forIllinois Treasurer. The other incumbent Democrat,Harry H. Semrow, sought reelection.

In the1986Metropolitan 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 anat-large election.^[1] All three Democratic nominees won.^[1]

Partisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County, due to vacancies. Other judgeships hadretention elections.^[1]

Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republicancommitteemen for the suburbantownships.^[2]

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• 1986 Cook County, Illinois, elections
• Illinois judicial elections

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