67 Facts About Toni Preckwinkle

Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the incumbent County Board president in Cook County, Illinois, United States.

Toni Preckwinkle was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the executive branch of Cook County government, in November 2010, becoming the first woman elected to that position.

Toni Preckwinkle was the runner-up in the 2019 election for mayor of Chicago.

Toni Preckwinkle Lynn Reed was born in St Paul, Minnesota, and attended local schools there.

Toni Preckwinkle graduated from Washington High School in St Paul in 1965.

Toni Preckwinkle moved to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park community area, where she earned her bachelor's in 1969, and later a master's degree in 1977.

In 1985 and 1986, Toni Preckwinkle served as President of the Disabled Adult Residential Enterprises.

Toni Preckwinkle was active in community organizations, serving as a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, and Political Action Director of the Near South Chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois.

In 1983, Toni Preckwinkle, supported by many independent voters, received enough support in the preliminary election to force a runoff election.

Toni Preckwinkle was initially sworn into office in 1991, and was reelected to four-year terms in 1995,1999,2003, and 2007.

In 2004, she and Dorothy Tillman were the only aldermen to vote against the mayor's city budget, and in 2005, Toni Preckwinkle was the lone dissenter on the mayor's budget.

Toni Preckwinkle has supported the majority of legislation advanced by the mayor and his allies, including most of Daley's annual budget proposals; his controversial use of tax increment financing, an economic development program in which tax revenues are funneled into accounts controlled almost exclusively by the mayor; and, ultimately, his quest to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Toni Preckwinkle championed set-asides for affordable housing as her signature issue.

Toni Preckwinkle was outspoken in support of the city settling the Jon Burge police torture case, rather than continuing to spend money in the litigation process.

Toni Preckwinkle was proactive in the effort to pursue compensation for victims of police brutality in the related Burge cases, and sought hearings on the initial special prosecutor's report.

Toni Preckwinkle has been a critic of the decades-long delay in settling the case, and supported the settlement.

In 2007, Toni Preckwinkle pursued disclosure of Chicago Police Department officers who were accused of using excessive force.

Toni Preckwinkle was a co-sponsor of the living wage ordinances that passed the city council in 1998 and 2002.

On July 26,2006, Toni Preckwinkle was one of 35 aldermen who voted to approve the 2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance sponsored by Alderman Joe Moore.

In October 2007, Toni Preckwinkle opposed naming a landmark in the 4th ward for Saul Bellow, the 1976 Nobel literature laureate, reportedly because Bellow had made remarks that Toni Preckwinkle considered racist.

In 2006, Toni Preckwinkle decided to paint over two 36-year-old, neglected and severely damaged public murals in the 47th Street Metra underpass.

Toni Preckwinkle expressed her reservations about the initial plan, and was involved in plan revisions.

Toni Preckwinkle was an early advocate of moving what would have been the Olympic Village from the McCormick Place truck yard to the Michael Reese Hospital site.

Toni Preckwinkle had concerns about how the proposed project would be financed.

Since December 2010, Toni Preckwinkle has served as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

John Byrne and Alice Yin of the Chicago Tribune have characterized Toni Preckwinkle as pursuing and implementing a "progressive agenda" as Board president.

Toni Preckwinkle announced in January 2009, that she would run for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Toni Preckwinkle launched her campaign website on June 18,2009.

However, on the votes that did see division, the most frequent opposition to Toni Preckwinkle's position arose from three Democratic members that had been allies of Todd Stroger: Earlean Collins, Joan Patricia Murphy, and William Beavers.

Fiscal issues that Toni Preckwinkle inherited included an overgrown county payroll and a county government pension crisis.

Toni Preckwinkle's position had been that she would be unwilling to heed this request unless the federal government would reimburse the county for the expenses it incurred from such extended detentions, and the federal government had refused to compensate the county.

Toni Preckwinkle faced criticism for proclaiming that the ordinance to ignore the federal governments' request would actually enhance public safety.

Also in August 2012, Toni Preckwinkle defended Chicago's action to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis by allowing police to write tickets.

Toni Preckwinkle asserted that drug laws had unfairly resulted in more minorities being incarcerated for minor offenses.

Toni Preckwinkle was reelected in November 2014, going unchallenged on the ballot in both the Democratic primary and the general election.

Toni Preckwinkle had placed great effort in increasing the county's enrollment in the ACA.

Toni Preckwinkle declined to make an endorsement in that election, despite the fact that her own county board floor leader, Chuy Garcia, was Emanuel's prime challenger.

On March 22,2016, Toni Preckwinkle announced that she had selected Brian Hamer, who served as the state's revenue director under Gov.

Toni Preckwinkle championed a "soda tax" taxing all retail sales of sweetened beverages made in the county at a rate of once cent per ounce.

In defense of the tax, Toni Preckwinkle argued that it was a justified means of achieving the public health goal of decreasing Cook County residents' consumption of sugar.

Toni Preckwinkle had been challenged by Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman who attempted to capitalize on the unpopularity of the "soda tax".

Toni Preckwinkle was unchallenged on the ballot in the general election.

Toni Preckwinkle-backed Democratic nominees succeeded in ousting Republican incumbents in the 14th and 15th districts, but fell roughly a mere 2,000 votes shy of unseating the 17th district's Republican incumbent.

In 2018, under Toni Preckwinkle's leadership, Cook County controversially requested an easement to build a road at taxpayer expense to pave public green space and the 10th hole of the Canal Shores Golf Course in the northern suburbs, which benefited of State Senators President John Cullerton and a private developer.

In 2018, Toni Preckwinkle launched an unsuccessful candidacy for mayor of Chicago.

Toni Preckwinkle did not make an endorsement ahead of the 2020 Illinois Democratic presidential primary.

Toni Preckwinkle advocated for adopting an integrated fare between Metra and Pace services and Chicago Transit Authority services.

On 25 June 2019, during a fundraiser held at the Chicago Cultural Center, Toni Preckwinkle reversed a decision she made not to run for another term and announced that she would seek a fourth term as Cook County Board President in 2022.

In 2018, Toni Preckwinkle supported Brandon Johnson's successful campaign to unseat Boykin.

In February 2023, Toni Preckwinkle became co-chair of the new national organization Counties for Guaranteed Income, a group which advocates for the federal government to support universal basic income programs.

In 2024, Toni Preckwinkle personally endorsed Mariyana Spyropoulos's campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Iris Martinez in the election for Cook County clerk of courts.

On September 20,2018, Toni Preckwinkle announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election to replace Rahm Emanuel, who had recently announced his decision to not seek reelection.

Toni Preckwinkle launched a number of challenges to the petitions of several candidates.

Toni Preckwinkle received criticism from other candidates for choosing to challenge candidates that were female and people of color.

Toni Preckwinkle launched five challenges against candidates that were women.

Toni Preckwinkle ultimately returned over $100,000 that had been raised for her campaign committee by Burke.

Toni Preckwinkle called for Burke to resign from the city council.

Toni Preckwinkle placed second in the primary election, narrowly behind Lightfoot and narrowly ahead of third-place finisher Daley.

Toni Preckwinkle herself had declined to endorse Garcia's own candidacy in the runoff of the previous 2015 Chicago Mayoral election.

Toni Preckwinkle was re-elected, again running unopposed on the ballot, as 4th Ward Democratic committeeman in March 2000, March 2004, and February 2008.

Toni Preckwinkle nominated Joseph Berrios for re-election as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Cook County at a meeting of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee on March 3,2010.

Toni Preckwinkle was elected Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party by acclamation on April 18,2018, after then chair Joseph Berrios lost in a primary challenge as Cook County Assessor.

Toni Preckwinkle was among those who encouraged Obama to make his first run for the United States Congress in 2000, taking a political risk in supporting his unsuccessful challenge to incumbent congressman Bobby Rush.

Toni Preckwinkle was an early supporter when he ran for United States Senate in 2004.

When Obama was elected in 2004 as a United States Senator, Toni Preckwinkle had a large say in his Illinois State Senate replacement.

Toni Preckwinkle became Obama's alderman when he moved from Hyde Park to South Kenwood in June 2005.

Toni Preckwinkle still served as an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.