Cook County Democrats Endorse Kwame Raoul Over Quinn For Attorney General
CHICAGO (AP/CBS) — Cook County's Democratic Party has endorsed state Sen. Kwame Raoul for attorney general over former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and several other candidates who urged party leaders not to pick a favorite.
The Democratic nomination for the statewide office is available after Attorney General Lisa Madigan said she wouldn't seek re-election. On Friday, candidates for the nomination spoke to Cook County Democrats in hopes of earning their support.
Former Governor Pat Quinn attempting a political comeback urged Cook County's Democratic Party not to endorse anyone from the wide field of candidates and he said he will stay in the primary for Attorney General. WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.
"That's what elections are all about. Voters get to choose and a handful of folks who are political watchers," he said.
Other candidates asked the same of the party and said they should instead support an open primary or wait until filing ends.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said she is in it to win it too.
"The people of Illinois deserve a fighter. I clearly am that person," she said.
But the person who carried the slate-making session was Kwame Raoul, who replaced Barack Obama in the Illinois Senate back when the former president ran for the U.S. Senate.
"I'm running for Attorney General to continue to do the work that I have already been doing for the last 13 years as a legislator and for the last 24 years as a lawyer," he said.
He urged the democratic committeemen to endorse him not based on his promises or positions, but based on what he has done. He talked about fighting for healthcare and his own diagnosis with prostate cancer a year ago.
"I know how important early detection is. I know how important access to healthcare is. That's why I applaud Lisa Madigan for joining with other Attorney Generals to challenge Trump's effort to try to undermine the Affordable Care Act."
Raoul said he was pleased to get the party's backing but said it will still be a competitive primary.
He and Quinn are among eight candidates vying for the party's nomination. Quinn lost re-election to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2014.
(CBS Chicago and The Associated Press contributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)