We know how awful Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez is — her record was eviscerated here by Josie Duffy — and we can give her the boot in just three months.
Alvarez is running for re-election in 2016, and has opponents in the March 15 Democratic primary: Kimberly Foxx and Donna More. Great! We’ve got choices!
Whoops, only one choice (assuming Foxx and More survive any petition challenges, which are an art form here).
A post in the always indispensable Capitol Fax Blog notes More recently sent an email to supporters ruing her support for Gov. Bruce Rauner. She gave him $2,500 in September 2014. Problem is, as sharp-fingered commenters there have discovered, she’s also donated over the years to Eric Cantor, Peter Fitzgerald and John Ensign.
Even if you accept the argument that one who works within legal circles contributes to both parties so as not to burn bridges, you can’t donate to guys like them and then call yourself a progressive Democrat. Even if you accept that Pat Quinn was a nebbish who never made the case he should have for re-election last year, you don’t get to donate to guys like them and call yourself a progressive Democrat. At best, you’re an opportunist and frankly the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office needs more than that.
So meet Kimberly Foxx, 43, former prosecutor and ex-chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (who is backing her) who has one helluva bio. By way of a brief introduction, here’s a Chicago Magazine interview, her website and Twitter feed. She's picked up endorsements from SEIU Local 73 and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) among others, and my vote.
Tellingly, the Cook County Democratic Party didn’t endorse in this race. It’s open. We’ve got three months so let’s go to it, Cook County Kossacks.
(For the record, an actual Republican, Christopher E.K. Pfannkuche, has filed in their primary. Also for the record, More’s campaign website is here. Too.)