After a succession of meetings dating back to late August, a 300-plus member faith-based group stressed that incumbent Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has proven to be a strong leader and deserves another four-year term. The Concerned Clergy For
After a succession of meetings dating back to late August, a 300-plus member faith-based group stressed that incumbent Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has proven to be a strong leader and deserves another four-year term. The Concerned Clergy For A Better Chicagoland made the endorsement of Stroger Tuesday during a news conference at Quinn Chapel AME Church on the South Side.
Stroger is seeking to retain his post against U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th), Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Dorothy Brown and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terry O’Brien. O’Brien is the only white candidate.
The group feared the February 2, 2010 Democratic primary would be the “potential death of African American political empowerment in Cook County” and chose to put its support behind one African American candidate.
“The CCBC was impressed with President Stroger’s presentation which was based upon his accomplishments as the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners,” said the Rev. Walter Turner
Stroger effectively balanced three budgets, keeping it flat at $3.1 billion. He owns the distinction of having one of few solvent governments in the United States. While the City of Chicago has shut down its government, laid off countless workers and demanded numerous furlough days and still has a $500 million deficit, and the State of Illinois still has a multi-billion dollar deficit, Stroger kept the county in the black as it relates to its budget. He has done more with less, according to a news release put out by the group.
“I’m very grateful and honored to receive that from the Black church. Their support means an awful lot. We’re (Cook County) in pretty good shape. Just like every business or citizen, we’re going to have some pressures on our budget. We’ve been able to keep a hospital system in tact and people need to know it. That’s been my mission. Letting people know what they’ve been getting for their tax dollars,” Stroger told the Defender.
He was the only candidate at the endorsement announcement.
In addition to endorsing Stroger, the group also encouraged Brown, Davis and Preckwinkle to remain their respective offices and throw their support behind Stroger’s re-election campaign.
All three told the Defender they respect the clergy’s decision, however, they plan to continue vying for the president’s post.
“We will continue to tell voters about Dorothy Brown’s proven track record, of reform, fiscal responsibility and bringing innovative solutions to the problems of Cook County. Dorothy Brown is the only candidate in the race who is talking about solutions in Cook County government. The voters who are truly concerned with funding the hospital, lowering the sales tax and ending the wasteful and patronage spending are uniting behind Dorothy Brown’s campaign. They want ‘New Ideas, Not New Taxes,’ and an end to the disingenuous politics as usual,” Brown’s campaign manager Julienne Uhlich said in a statement.
Davis predicted days ago the clergy would endorse Stroger but vowed to continue.
According to a poll the congressman conducted recently, he was the “top contender” to oust Stroger, he said.
“I’ve raised more money than all the candidates put together in the first six months (of my campaign that began at the beginning of the year). We’re going to have a good filing for petitions in the next two weeks and I think we’re going to win on Feb. 2,” Preckwinkle told the Defender.
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