2002 Cook County, Illinois, elections

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 5, 2002.

Primaries were held on March 19, 2002.

Elections were held for Assessor, Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 17 seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 3 seats of the Cook County Board of Review, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Election information
2002 was a midterm election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal (Senate and House) and those for state elections.

Primary election
Voter turnout in Cook County during the primaries was 36.69%. The city of Chicago saw 39.87% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 33.40% turnout.

General election
The general election saw 52.12% turnout, with 1,423,403 ballots cast. Chicago saw 53.16% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 51.09% turnout.

Assessor
In the 2002 Cook County Assessor election, incumbent Assessor James Houlihan, a Democrat first appointed in 1997 who was reelected in 1998, was again reelected.

Clerk
In the 2002 Cook County Clerk election, incumbent third-term Clerk David Orr, a Democrat, was reelected.

Sheriff
In the 2002 Cook County Sheriff election, incumbent third-term Sheriff Michael F. Sheahan, a Democrat, was reelected.

Treasurer
In the 2002 Cook County Treasurer election, incumbent first-term Treasurer Maria Pappas, a Democrat, was reelected.

President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
In the 2002 President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election, incumbent second-term President John Stroger, a Democrat, was reelected.

Stroger was only the forth person ever to win three elections for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Cook County Board of Commissioners
The 2002 Cook County Board of Commissioners election saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms.

As these were the first elections held following the 2000 United States Census, the seats faced redistricting before this election.

Cook County Board of Review
In the 2002 Cook County Board of Review election, all three seats, two Democratic-held and one Republican-held, were up for election.

Beginning with the 2002 elections, the Cook County Board of Review has had its three seats rotate the length of terms. In a staggered fashion (in which no two seats have coinciding two-year terms), the seats rotate between two consecutive four-year terms and a two-year term.

As this was the first elections held following the 2000 United States Census, the seats faced redistricting before this election.

1st district
Incumbent first-term member Maureen Murphy, a Republican, was reelected, being unopposed in both the Republican primary and general election. This election was to a four-year term.

Democratic
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Democratic primary. The Democratic Party ultimately nominated Brendan F. Houlihan.

2nd district
Incumbent first-term member Joseph Berrios, a Democrat, was reelected, running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and the general election. Berrios had not only served since the Board of Review was constituted in 1998, but had also served on its predecessor organization, the Cook County Board of (Tax) Appeals, for ten years. This election was to a four-year term.

Republican
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.

3rd district
Incumbent first-term member Robert Shaw, a Democrat, was reelected. This election was to a two-year term.

Republican
No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.

Water Reclamation District Board
In the 2006 Metropolitan 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 an at-large race. Since three six-year seats were up for election, voters could vote for up to three candidates and the top-three finishers would win.

Two Democratic incumbents Kathy Meany and Cynthia Santos, won reelection. They were joined in being elected by fellow Democrat Frank Avila. One Democratic incumbent, Martin Sandoval, had withdrawn ahead of the Democratic primary.

Judicial elections
Partisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County, due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.

Partisan elections were also held for subcircuit courts judgeships due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.

Other elections
Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republican committeemen for the suburban townships.