With just days left until results are due to be certified, the Associated Press projected Eileen O'Neill Burke as the winner in the Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney, which turned out to be the closest countywide contest of the 2024 Illinois primary elections.
Results on Friday showed O'Neill Burke with 264,289 votes to fellow candidate Clayton Harris' 262,733 votes.
O'Neill Burke declared victory in a statement Friday afternoon shortly before the Associated Press called the race, with the former appellate judge congratulating Harris on a hard-fought campaign and thanking voters.
Though Harris narrowly outperformed Burke within the city of Chicago, Burke won suburban Cook County by over 15,000 votes.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
With Cook County being the state's clearest Democratic stronghold, O'Neill Burke is widely considered a favorite November's general election, which will also feature Republican Bob Fioretti and Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski on the ballot.
Harris' campaign released a statement Friday afternoon, conceding the election to O'Neill Burke.
“After months of organizing, meeting and talking with people from all across this county, and waiting for every vote to be counted, we’ve fallen a bit short of our goal. I want to congratulate Eileen O’Neill Burke on her victory. I am incredibly proud of the broad, diverse, grassroots coalition we built countywide with the vision of a criminal justice system that focuses on safety and justice. Where we keep every resident safe–no matter what neighborhood they live in, and where we do so in a just fashion," Harris' statement read in part.
