Cook County President Todd Stroger waited until nearly the last possible moment on Monday afternoon to file his paperwork for re-election.
"I'm feeling great. I'm feeling like 160 pounds of dynomite," he said.
And almost immediately, he jumped to campaigning.
Upon turning in his roughly 22,000 signatures, Stroger was asked why he deserves to be re-elected.
"You know all the statistics. You should be telling me why I deserve it. The county's in great shape. Look at the state, look at the city, look at all the other municipalities," he said. "I've run a very good ship."
He called the county "fiscally sound," and said that in three years, the county has "really been put together in a good manner."
But while confident, the filing near 4 p.m. of his paperwork is a pure political move and not one based on merit. In doing so, Stroger secures the final spot on the ballot, which is considered second-best to being listed first.
Others wanting Stroger's job include Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Water Reclamation District President Terrence O'Brien. Rep. Danny Davis has filed paperwork for county board president and the United States Congress. He has a week to decide on which race he'll pursue.
