Politics & Government
Cook County State's Attorney Candidates Debate Ahead Of Democratic Party Primary
Former prosecutor Clayton Harris and retired Judge Eileen O'Neill Burke are set to face each other Thursday evening in a live debate.
CHICAGO — The two Democratic Party candidates to succeed two-term Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx are set to square off Thursday in a televised debate.
Clayton Harris, a former prosecutor, city attorney and state government staffer, and Eileen O'Neill Burke, a former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and judge, are due to face each other in the March 19 primary.
The winner is expected to be the favorite heading into November's election, where he or she will face Bob Fioretti, the former Chicago alderman who is running as a Republican, and Libertarian candidate Andrew Charles Kopinski.
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Harris has been endorsed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Democratic Party, which she leads. He has said he plans to add a new division in the special prosecutors unit to focus on gun crime, carjacking and shoplifting.
O'Neil Burke has said she plans to more strictly enforce current laws forbidding retail theft and improve morale and staffing within the state's attorney's office.
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The debate is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday on Chicago's ABC affiliate's online live stream and Univision Chicago's live broadcast and digital.
It will then be broadcast on WLS-TV, channel 7 with an antenna, at 10:35 p.m. on Friday. And Univision's sister channel, Unimas, is scheduled to broadcast the debate at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
A collaboration between the local broadcasters, the League of Women Voters of Cook County and the League of Women Voters of Chicago, the debate will a focus on public safety and crime.
The panel questioning the candidates will be composed of WLS Political Reporter Craig Wall, WGBO Reproter Mariano Gielis and representatives of several community organizations in Chicago and Cook County.
John Idler, the president and general manager of WLS-TV, said his station was delighted to produce the debate and offer it on multiple platforms.
"We believe this effort helps the electorate better assess candidates to make more informed decisions," Idler said.
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