CHICAGO (AP) 鈥 An open seat to lead the nation鈥檚 second-largest prosecutor鈥檚 office has become one of the most spirited races in the Illinois primary with a Democratic matchup between a tough-on-crime judge and an attorney with union and establishment backing.
The Cook County state鈥檚 attorney primary features Eileen O鈥橬eill Burke, a former appellate judge with a large campaign war chest, versus Clayton Harris III, a professor and former prosecutor who鈥檚 held government posts.
The race is the latest example of how the legacy of progressive Democrats who swept into big city prosecutor offices over the past decade has fractured. Some, including in , face tough reelection bids with blame on progressive policies for perceptions that cities are less safe. Others or .
In Chicago, Democrats hoping to replace outgoing State鈥檚 Attorney Kim Foxx are walking a line, saying they'll uphold some of her progressive policies while also being critical of her tenure.
鈥淲e should be booming, and we鈥檙e not because of crime,鈥 said O鈥橬eill Burke, who's more openly critical of Foxx. 鈥淭his is something we can fix.鈥
Meanwhile, Harris says punishments must be appropriate and consider : 鈥淲e can focus on our communities being safe without sacrificing justice.鈥
Neither candidate has high name recognition. But the winner of Tuesday's primary in heavily Democratic Cook County is expected to coast to victory in November.
It鈥檚 an open race because Foxx, who easily won her first two elections, Her leadership was praised by reformers but also blasted for being soft on crime and the handling of like .
One campaign issue has been the future of Foxx's controversial policy not to prosecute retail theft as a felony unless the value of the stolen goods is over $1,000. State law sets a $300 felony threshold.
Harris said he鈥檇 continue the practice.
鈥淚f someone came and took my cellphone, is that cellphone worth a felony on your record? I do not think so,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e look at recidivism. We charge everyone appropriately.鈥
O鈥橬eill Burke said she鈥檇 scrap it.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 deter crime, it promotes it,鈥 she said of Foxx鈥檚 change.
In other cities, progressive policies are also being blamed for crime and homelessness. That鈥檚 even as violent crime, including homicides and shootings, has largely fallen in and to the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc贸n survived a nonpartisan primary this month but expects a tough November election. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner faces the possibility of an impeachment trial. In San Francisco, Chesa Boudin was , while St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigned.
In the Chicago area, both candidates say Foxx made important strides. The state's attorney's office has more than 700 attorneys and is the largest after Los Angeles.
O鈥橬eill Burke said she鈥檇 continue restorative justice efforts for young people and credited Foxx with diversifying the workforce. Harris has held up Foxx鈥檚 conviction review unit, which has overturned , as a national model.
Harris says the prosecutor must improve the relationship with law enforcement.
On the campaign trail, he's talked about his personal life as a Black man raising children on Chicago鈥檚 South Side, as well as his professional experience in helping run government and lobbying elected leaders.
鈥淏eing a Black man. I鈥檝e been pulled over before for no reason,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e can have safe communities without being racially profiled.鈥
Harris has scrutinized O鈥橬eill Burke鈥檚 record as an assistant state鈥檚 attorney. He's put a spot spotlight on a decades-old murder case where O鈥橬eill Burke, who is white, helped prosecute a Black child on charges he murdered an older white woman when he was 10 years old.
The conviction was thrown out by a federal judge who found the boy鈥檚 confession was coerced by police and taken without a parent or attorney present.
O鈥橬eill Burke now says she鈥檒l advocate for stronger legal protections for children under interrogation, but she wouldn鈥檛 change her work on the 1994 case as the boy鈥檚 attorney and parents were in court when he took the stand and repeated the confession.
鈥淣o one has ever questioned my conduct in this case or any case,鈥 she said, calling Harris鈥 campaign ads about the case a 鈥渄istraction鈥 for voters.
Harris disagrees.
鈥淚nstead of acknowledging that mistakes were made, there has been a doubling down,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the wrong attitude to have.鈥
When it comes to fundraising, O鈥橬eill Burke is ahead, with roughly double the amount of Harris, just under $2 million compared to roughly $750,000. Her sum includes money from top Republican donors.
But Harris has picked up hefty endorsements from labor unions, progressive leaders and the Cook County Democratic Party.
His Democratic ties are a top target for O鈥橬eill Burke.
Harris was briefly a chief of staff for former Gov. , helping oversee the office after Blagojevich was and ultimately convicted. Harris wasn't accused of wrongdoing.
O鈥橬eill Burke deems Harris a 鈥淒emocratic insider" while attempting to tie his lobbyist work to Republicans who oppose abortion. Her campaign promises including creating a unit within the prosecutor鈥檚 office to protect abortion rights.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent every single day for the last 30 years in a courtroom from every vantage point. That鈥檚 a significant advantage,鈥 she said in an interview. 鈥淗e has spent a career answering to politicians and you cannot answer to a politician in this job.鈥
Also running in the primary is Republican former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti, who lost a 2020 bid for the office.
