Fioretti announces bid to unseat Preckwinkle as Cook County Board president

Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderperson, speaks with reporters Wednesday after announcing his candidacy for Cook County Board president.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti on Wednesday announced his candidacy for Cook County Board president.

He’ll be taking on Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the general election Nov. 8.

The last time Fioretti faced Preckwinkle was in the 2018 Democratic primary for the county’s top job.

This time, Fioretti is running as a Republican and he made it clear during a news conference at the Billy Goat Tavern that he plans to make crime and public safety the main issues of the campaign.

Fioretti said he would use budgetary discretion over the court system as leverage to force the state’s attorney to end the “revolving door” that allows for the release of people who end up back in the court system for additional crimes. Fioretti specifically mentioned stemming the tide of carjackings committed by juveniles.

“Crime is on the rise, Cook County’s spending is out of control, our infrastructure is crumbling and we have higher taxes than ever before,” he said.

He characterized Preckwinkle’s tenure as “self-serving, ineffective leadership.”

Fioretti offered no specific plans but said he’d get into the details of “common sense” solutions in the coming weeks.

Preckwinkle’s campaign manager didn’t comment on Fioretti’s challenge but said Preckwinkle “looks forward to continuing her strong campaign into November.”

Preckwinkle, who’s 75 and lives in Hyde Park, has been in office since 2010.

Fioretti, 69, lives on the Near West Side close to Whitney M. Young Magnet High School.

He served as second ward alderman from 2007 to 2015. He has since launched unsuccessful bids for mayor, state senate and Cook County state’s attorney.

Fioretti, a civil rights attorney who survived throat cancer, said Wednesday: “My health is in really good shape.”

He said he’s still practicing law “a little bit in the mornings,” mostly helping distressed suburban municipalities with bond issues.

About a dozen supporters joined Fioretti for his campaign announcement, including his wife, Nicki Pecori Fioretti.

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