Crowded Field Emerges in Race for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk

Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin announced his candidacy Thursday, while former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said he was considering a run

One new candidate entered the race for Cook County clerk of the circuit court Thursday, immediately after incumbent Dorothy Brown announced she would not seek another term, joining four others already running.

Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin announced his candidacy Thursday, having publicly mulled a run for Cook County state's attorney in recent weeks.

"When it comes to ensuring equal access to justice, there are few offices with more of a direct impact than the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County," Boykin said in a statement announcing his run. "I'm excited to share my ideas with Cook County voters on how we can expand access to justice by leveraging technology in a way that benefits everyone who comes into contact with our Circuit Court, regardless of color, creed or income."

Boykin was first elected to represent Cook County's 1st District in 2014 and was defeated in an upset in 2018. He joins at least four other candidates who had already announced a run for Cook County clerk of the circuit court prior to Brown's announcement.

They include: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, state Sen. Iris Martinez, attorney Jacob Meister and Cook County Board of Review commissioner Michael Cabonargi.

Former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said Wednesday that he's also considering entering the race and was "talking to people about it" before making a final decision.

Brown was first elected in 2000 and most recently ran for mayor of Chicago before she was removed from the ballot over a challenge to her petition signatures.

She and her office have been under a federal microscope for years over multiple scandals. The FBI seized her cell phone in 2015 as part of an investigation into a 2011 land deal involving a campaign donor in which she and her husband made thousands of dollars. Months later in 2016, a former employee pleaded guilty to lying to a federal grand jury about the sale of jobs and promotions within Brown's office.

Then in April, a jury convicted another former aide to Brown of lying during sworn grand jury testimony in 2015 and 2016 on that land deal.

Neither Brown nor her husband have been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. Her announcement came just one day before the Cook County Democratic Party was expected to slate candidates for countywide offices, including hers, in the upcoming primary election.

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