Like many Democratic candidates for the Cook County Board, incumbent Michael Scott Jr. says his priorities are expanding access to affordable housing and health care. Scott, appointed to fill the vacancy after the untimely death of incumbent Dennis Deer in 2024, has a long record of public service, including on the Chicago City Council and Chicago Board of Education. “I know how to navigate government, collaborate across agencies and deliver results,” he says. When he resigned his City Council post in 2022 for a private-sector job, we were dismayed when the seat was summarily passed along to his sister, Monique Scott, who now serves as 24th Ward alderman after subsequently winning a full term. But he is engaged and connected and sets logical priorities. His opponent in the primary is Andre Smith, community activist and frequent candidate for various offices.
Scott is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois primary election here.
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