CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After a long, agonizing vote count, Eileen O'Neill Burke was able to celebrate her narrow win in the Democratic race to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx on Monday.
Surrounded by elected officials, plumbers union leaders and other labor activists, the former appellate judge thanked those who voted and campaigned — and she seemed unconcerned about the razor-thin majority in the Democratic primary.
“It’s a Democratic primary, so we’re going to have a lot of very basic similarities and belief structures,” O’Neill Burke said. “When it’s going to be a significant divide in belief structures is during the November election, so we need to vote.”
She will face Republican candidate Bob Fioretti in November. While she said that she doesn’t want to put everyone in jail, O'Neill Burke vowed on Monday to try and hold some suspects.
“I am not hiding the ball on when the State’s Attorney’s Office will seek detention,” said O’Neill Burke. “We will seek detention each and every time someone is found with an assault weapon. We will seek detention each and every time someone is threatening someone with a gun.”
Over the weekend, Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara gave his approval to O’Neill Burke and told officers — even those who are Republicans — to back O’Neill Burke in November.
O’Neill Burke’s opponent Clayton Harris III congratulated her after the final tally came in and vowed to “continue to demand accountability, transparency and fairness from our justice system.”
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