Toni Preckwinkle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toni Preckwinkle
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Preckwinkle in 2021
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| President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners | |
| Assumed office December 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Todd Stroger |
| Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office April 18, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Berrios |
| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 4th ward |
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| In office April 2, 1991 – December 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Timothy C. Evans |
| Succeeded by | Shirley Newsome |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Toni Lynn Reed
March 17, 1947 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Zeus Preckwinkle
(m. 1969; div. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Chicago (BA, MA) |
Toni Lynn Preckwinkle (born March 17, 1947) is an American politician. She is currently the County Board president in Cook County, Illinois. She was first elected to this important role in November 2010. She was the first woman ever elected to lead the Cook County government.
Before this, Preckwinkle served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for five terms. She represented Chicago's 4th ward, which includes the Hyde Park area. During her time as an alderman, she was a strong supporter of affordable housing. She also ran for mayor of Chicago in 2019 and came in second place.
Preckwinkle is known for her work on several issues. These include a tax on sugary drinks, laws about paying a fair "living wage," and her strong stand against police brutality.
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Early Life and Education
Toni Lynn Reed was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. She went to local schools there and graduated from Washington High School in 1965. While in high school, she helped with the campaign of Katie McWatt, the first African American person to run for the St. Paul City Council.
After high school, she moved to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago. She earned her first degree in 1969 and a master's degree in 1977.
Early Career and Community Work
After college, Preckwinkle taught history for ten years at several high schools in the Chicago metropolitan area. She also worked with community groups. She was on the board of directors for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
In 1990, she became the executive director of the Chicago Jobs Council. She also worked as a planner for the Chicago Department of Economic Development.
Chicago City Council (1991–2010)
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Toni Preckwinkle served as an alderman for Chicago's 4th ward for many years. The 4th ward is on the South Side of Chicago, near Lake Michigan. It includes areas like Kenwood and Oakland.
Winning the 1991 Election
Preckwinkle ran for alderman in the 4th ward in 1983 and 1987 but lost to the person already in office, Timothy C. Evans. In Chicago, aldermen are elected without political parties, but they need more than half the votes. If no one gets that many, the top two candidates have a runoff election. In 1983, she made it to a runoff but lost. In 1987, she lost by a larger amount.
In 1991, Preckwinkle ran against Evans again. This time, she won the first round of voting in her area. She then went to a runoff election against Evans, just like in 1983. On April 2, 1991, Preckwinkle won by a very small number of votes, becoming the new alderman. She was reelected four more times, serving until 2010.
Key Issues as Alderman
As an alderman, Preckwinkle was known for being a progressive leader. She often disagreed with the mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, more than other aldermen.
- Affordable Housing: One of her main goals was to create more affordable housing. She pushed for laws that made sure housing developers set aside a certain percentage of homes for people with lower incomes. This helps people find homes they can afford.
- Police Accountability: Preckwinkle was a strong voice for making sure police were held responsible for their actions. She supported settling cases where police were accused of torture and wanted to make sure victims received fair treatment. She also pushed for information about police officers accused of using too much force to be made public.
- Economic Policy: She helped pass laws that required businesses to pay a "living wage." This means paying workers enough money to cover their basic needs. She also supported a law that made large stores pay a living wage, though this law was later changed.
- Community Projects: Preckwinkle was involved in local issues in her ward. She had old, damaged murals in a public underpass painted over and replaced with new ones that showed the city's history. She also had concerns about Chicago's plan to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, especially about how it would affect her ward and how it would be paid for.
Cook County Board President (2010–Present)
Since December 2010, Toni Preckwinkle has been the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. This board is like the main governing body for Cook County, which is a very large county in Illinois. As president, she has a lot of influence over the county government.
Winning the 2010 Election
Preckwinkle announced in January 2009 that she would run for president of the Cook County Board. She won the Democratic Party primary election in February 2010, beating the person who was already in office. In the general election in November, she won by a large margin, getting more than two-thirds of the votes. This made her the first woman to be elected to this position.
First Term as President
When Preckwinkle took office, Cook County faced challenges like a large jail population and financial issues. She promised to make the county government more stable and improve its finances.
During her first term, most of her plans were approved by the county board. She worked to decrease the county's sales tax by 1%. At the time, Cook County had one of the highest sales tax rates in the United States.
She also supported a rule that said county jails would not hold people longer just to check their immigration status unless the federal government paid for it. She believed this would help public safety.
Second Term as President
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Preckwinkle was reelected in November 2014 without anyone running against her in either the primary or general election. This was unusual for the position.
In her second term, the county made progress on several goals she had set. The cost of healthcare for residents went down, and more people signed up for health coverage. The number of people in county jails also decreased, and the cost of running the jails went down. The county's debt also decreased by 11%.
In 2015, to help balance the county's budget and pay off debt, the county board voted to raise the sales tax back to its previous level.
In 2016, Preckwinkle supported a "soda tax" on sugary drinks sold in the county. She argued it would help public health by reducing sugar consumption and also bring in money for the county. However, the tax was very unpopular with residents. In October 2017, the county board voted to cancel the tax, even though Preckwinkle did not want them to. This left a large gap in the county's budget.
Third Term as President
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Preckwinkle was reelected for a third term in 2018. She easily defeated her opponent, Bob Fioretti, who had tried to use the unpopular "soda tax" against her. She also helped other Democrats win seats on the Cook County Board.
In 2018, Cook County asked to build a road through a public golf course. This plan was controversial and faced strong opposition from local residents.
Preckwinkle also ran for mayor of Chicago in 2019. She made it to the final runoff election but lost by a large margin to Lori Lightfoot.
In January 2021, a new program called "Fair Transit South Cook" was launched. This program, led by Preckwinkle, cut the cost of train fares on some lines and increased bus service in the southern suburbs of Chicago. The goal was to make public transportation more affordable and available for people in those areas, especially those who spend a lot of their income on travel.
Fourth Term as President
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In 2019, Preckwinkle announced she would seek a fourth term as Cook County Board President. She was reelected in 2022, winning by a large margin in both the Democratic primary and the general election.
In February 2023, Preckwinkle became a leader in a new national group called "Counties for Guaranteed Income." This group supports the idea of the government providing a basic income to people.
With Preckwinkle's support, the county board approved a new rule in December 2023. This rule requires most employers in suburban Cook County to give their employees up to 40 hours of paid time off each year. This rule started in January 2024.
Democratic Party Roles
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Toni Preckwinkle has also played important roles in the Democratic Party.
4th Ward Democratic Committeeman (1992–2018)
Each area in Chicago and Cook County elects a Democratic Committeeman. These people help choose and support Democratic candidates for office. Preckwinkle became the 4th Ward Democratic Committeeman in 1992 and was reelected several times.
In 2004, when Barack Obama was elected as a U.S. Senator, Preckwinkle had a big say in who would take his place in the Illinois State Senate.
Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party (2018–Present)
On April 18, 2018, Preckwinkle was elected to lead the Cook County Democratic Party. This is a very important position in local politics.
Relationship with Barack Obama
Preckwinkle supported Barack Obama throughout his political career. She endorsed him when he ran for the Illinois Senate, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate. She was one of the people who encouraged him to run for Congress in 2000.
When Obama became a U.S. Senator in 2004, Preckwinkle had a significant role in choosing his replacement in the state senate. She also became his alderman when he moved to South Kenwood in 2005.
While Preckwinkle was a strong supporter of Obama early on, some reports suggested she later felt he was not as loyal. However, she still served as an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. In 2018, Obama endorsed Preckwinkle's reelection campaign for County Board President.
Personal Life
Toni Preckwinkle was married to Zeus Preckwinkle from 1969 to 2013. They have two children.
Images for kids
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Hyde Park 2006 Independence Day parade (left to right starting at center in light green): Preckwinkle as the Statue of Liberty, Illinois State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie as Uncle Sam, and Chicago City Council Alderman Leslie Hairston as Betsy Ross
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Preckwinkle in 2012
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Preckwinkle celebrating her 2010 Democratic primary election win
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Preckwinkle (right) at a 2018 protest organized by the Chicago Teachers Union
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Preckwinkle in February 2019
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Preckwinkle (left) and Congressman Chuy García greet First Lady Jill Biden in October 2021
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