The slating committee of the Cook County Democratic Party met, on Aug. 18-19, to determine its election slate for the March 2016.
The slating process determines which candidates can enjoy the full backingand thus financial and manpower resourcesof the party. Candidates pitch their platforms to party officials, often receiving support from various members.
Only one member of the LGBT community presented credentials to the committee during the sessions held at the Erie Cafe, 536 W. Erie St. Attorney and activist Jacob Meister put in a bid to compete against Dorothy Brown for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court. Brown has held the post since 2000.
Meister said that inefficiencies in the court system have resulted in squandered resources and people languishing in jail.
"The clerk of the court's office is very dysfunctional," Meister said. "It hasn't been modernized and needs to be brought into the 21st Century. I've been practicing law in the courts of Cook County for 25 years and I know how to get it fixed. I know where the problems are and I know how to solve those problems."
The party ultimately chose to give its endorsement to Brown, however. In a surprising move, it did not endorse a candidate for Cook County state's attorney. Incumbent Anita Alvarez is backed by powerful politicians such as House Speaker Michael Madigan, but challenger Kim Foxx has worked closely with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who will put her weight behind Foxx. Other challengers include Donna More, a former prosecutor who is currently a gaming attorney, and Cook County Commissioner ( and former state Rep. ) John Fritchey.
The party also did not endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate, a post being vied for by U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth and former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp.
Other endorsements included Hillary Clinton for U.S. president; current Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza for state comptroller; and Karen Yarbrough for Cook County recorder of deeds.