David Orr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Orr
Orr in 2012
20th Cook County Clerk
In office December 11, 1990 – December 10, 2018
Preceded by	Stanley Kusper
Succeeded by	Karen Yarbrough
52nd Mayor of Chicago
Acting
In office November 25, 1987 – December 2, 1987
Preceded by	Harold Washington
Succeeded by	Eugene Sawyer
3rd Vice Mayor of Chicago
In office April 1987 – May 1988
Mayor	Harold Washington Eugene Sawyer
Preceded by	Richard Mell
Succeeded by	Terry Gabinski
Member of the Chicago City Council from the 49th Ward
In office February 23, 1979 – December 10, 1990
Preceded by	Homer Johnson
Succeeded by	Robert Clarke
Personal details
Born	David Duvall Orr (1944-10-04) October 4, 1944 (age 80) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Loretta Orr
Children	4
Education	Simpson College (BA) Case Western Reserve University (MA)
Signature

David Duvall Orr (born October 4, 1944) is an American Democratic politician. He served as the Cook County Clerk from 1990 to 2018. Before that, Orr was an alderman (a city council member) for Chicago's 49th ward from 1979 to 1990. He also briefly served as the acting Mayor of Chicago for one week in November and December 1987. This happened after Mayor Harold Washington passed away. Orr retired from being Cook County Clerk in 2018. He chose not to run for an eighth term.

David Orr's Early Life and Education

David Orr was born in Chicago, Illinois. He went to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, for his first degree. He then earned a Masters Degree in American Studies from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In 1979, he was teaching at Mundelein College. That year, he decided to run for alderman for the first time.

Becoming a City Leader in Chicago

Orr started his political career as an "independent Democrat." This meant he was against the main Democratic Party organization at the time. This organization was very powerful and was known as the "Machine." In February 1979, Orr was elected alderman for the 49th Ward. He won by a small number of votes. This ward covered most of the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Orr was known as a "lakefront liberal." This term described politicians from areas near Lake Michigan who often supported progressive ideas.

Standing Up for Change

Orr joined other independent aldermen from the "Lakefront" and black aldermen from other parts of the city. They worked together to oppose the corruption and unfair practices of the "Machine." Orr was re-elected in 1983 and 1987.

In 1983, the "Machine" was divided. This allowed Harold Washington, a black independent politician, to become Mayor. However, 29 aldermen opposed Mayor Washington. They tried to stop the city government from working for three years. This period was called "Council Wars." Orr supported Mayor Washington. He was one of only five white aldermen to do so.

After Mayor Washington's supporters gained the majority in 1986, Orr was chosen by the City Council to be the city's Vice Mayor in 1987.

Chicago's Nuclear-Free Zone

In 1986, Orr worked with another alderman, Bernard Stone. They successfully passed a law through the City Council. This law declared Chicago a "nuclear-free zone." This meant that nuclear weapons or nuclear power plants were not allowed in the city.

As a city councilman, Orr often succeeded in getting the council to act on issues he cared about. He had a reputation for being a "clean" politician. People saw him as honest and fair. A newspaper writer named Mike Royko said in 1988 that Orr was one of the few honest aldermen.

In May 1988, the City Council voted to remove Orr from his Vice Mayor position. This was because he tried to make changes that would make the council's committees more responsible for their money.

Orr left the City Council in 1990 to become the county clerk. The mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, appointed Robert Clarke to take his place. In the next election, Joe Moore, who Orr had supported, defeated Clarke.

A Week as Acting Mayor

Mayor Washington sadly passed away from a heart attack on November 25, 1987. As Vice Mayor, Orr became the acting mayor. He took office on November 25 and served for one week. During this time, the City Council worked to choose a new permanent mayor.

Many thought Orr would be the obvious choice. However, he was a reformer, and the remaining "Machine" aldermen strongly opposed him. Also, many black Chicagoans wanted a black person to replace Mayor Washington. Alderman Eugene Sawyer, who was black, was chosen instead on December 2, 1987. Orr led the Council meetings as mayor on December 1, for a memorial for Washington, and on December 2, when Sawyer was selected.

Serving Cook County

In 1990, the job of Cook County clerk became open. The previous clerk, Stanley T. Kusper, Jr., ran for a different position. Orr ran for the Cook County Clerk job. He easily won the Democratic primary election with 56% of the votes. He also won the main election easily, getting more votes than any other candidate for county office.

Making Changes as Clerk

Orr was re-elected many times: in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. For several of these elections, he ran without anyone challenging him in his own party. He faced only small opposition in the general elections.

After he became Cook County Clerk, Orr made important changes. He created a new guide for employees about ethics, which means doing the right thing and being honest.

In 1994, people thought Orr might run for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. This is a very important county position. However, he decided to run for re-election as clerk instead.

On June 21, 2017, Orr announced that he would not run for an eighth term. Karen Yarbrough, who was the Cook County Recorder of Deeds at the time, became the next Cook County Clerk after Orr.

What David Orr Does Now

In 2013, Orr was named a Senior Fellow at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. This means he became an important expert there.

In June 2018, Orr started a political action committee (PAC) called Good Government Illinois. A PAC is a group that raises money to support political goals. His goal was to support election reform and changes to how political campaigns are funded. He also supported candidates who shared his goals. He supported several candidates in the 2019 Chicago aldermanic election.

Orr thought about running for mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election. This was after the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, said he would not seek another term. However, Orr decided not to run. Before the first round of the election, Orr publicly supported Lori Lightfoot for mayor.

In the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, Orr supported U.S. Representative Chuy Garcia for mayor.

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, David Orr was honored and added to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. He was recognized as a "Friend of the Community" for his support.