2012 Cook County, Illinois, elections

2012 was a presidential election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal races (President and House) and those for state elections.

Voter turnout in Cook County during the primaries was 24.03%, with 644,701 ballots cast. Among these, 440,873 Democratic, 200,750 Republican, 112 Green, and 2,966 nonpartisan primary ballots were cast.^[3][4] The city of Chicago saw 24.46% turnout, its lowest turnout for a presidential primary on record (with the records dating back to 1942).^[3][4][5][6] Suburban Cook County saw 23.63% turnout.^[3][4]

The general election saw 70.59% turnout, with 2,030,563 ballots cast. Chicago saw 73.01% turnout and suburban Cook County saw 70.70% turnout.^[7][8]

2012 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election

← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →
Turnout	63.74%[7][8]
Candidate Dorothy A. Brown Diane Shapiro Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,291,499 541,973 Percentage 70.44% 29.56%
Clerk before election Dorothy A. Brown Democratic Elected Clerk Dorothy A. Brown Democratic

In the 2012 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election, incumbent third-term Clerk Dorothy A. Brown, a Democrat, was reelected.

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.^[2] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Diane S. Shapiro.

2012 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election

← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →
Turnout	61.88%[7][8]
Candidate Karen Yarbrough Sherri Griffith Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,313,967 466,038 Percentage 73.82% 26.18%
Recorder of Deeds before election Eugene Moore Democratic Elected Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough Democratic

In the 2012 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election, incumbent Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Moore had served as Recorder of Deeds since 1999.^[9] Karen Yarbrough was elected to succeed him.

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.^[2] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Sherri Griffith.

2012 Cook County State's Attorney election

← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →
Turnout	64.39%[7][8]
Candidate Anita Alvarez Lori S. Yokoyama Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,427,145 421,810 Percentage 77.05% 22.77%
State's Attorney before election Anita Alvarez Democratic Elected State's Attorney Anita Alvarez Democratic

In the 2012 Cook County State's Attorney election, incumbent first-term State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, a Democrat, was reelected.

Only Democrats had held this office ever since Richard A. Devine unseated Republican Jack O'Malley in 1996.^[10]

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.^[2] The Republican Party ultimately nominated Lori S. Yokoyama.

2012 Cook County Board of Review election

← 2010 November 6, 2012 2014 →
2 of 3 seats on the Cook County Board of Review 2 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Democratic Republican Seats before 2 1 Seats after 2 1 Seat change Seats up 2 1 Races won 2 1

In the 2012 Cook County Board of Review election, all three seats, two Democratic-held and one Republican-held, were up for election. All incumbents won reelection.

The Cook County Board of Review has its three seats rotate the length of terms. In a staggered fashion (in which no two seats have coinciding two-year terms), the seats rotate between two consecutive four-year terms and a two-year term.^[11] This was the first year since 2002 that all three seats were coincidingly up for election.

As these were the first elections held following the 2010 United States census, the seats faced redistricting before this election.

Incumbent first-term member Dan Patlak, a Republican first elected in 2010, was reelected. This election was to a four-year term.^[11]

Incumbent member Michael Cabonargi, a Democrat appointed in 2011 after Joseph Berrios resigned to assume office as Cook County Assessor,^[12] was reelected to a full term, running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election. This election was to a four-year term.

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.^[2]

Incumbent second-term member Larry Rogers, Jr., a Democrat, was reelected, running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election. Rogers had last been reelected in 2008. This election was to a two-year term.

No candidates, ballot-certified or formal write-in, ran in the Republican primary.^[2]

2012 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election

← 2010 November 6, 2012 2014 →
3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 5 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Democratic Republican Green Seats before 9 0 0 Seats after 9 0 0 Seat change Popular vote 2,884,689 675,810 507,547 Percentage 70.91% 16.61% 12.48% Seats up 3 0 0 Races won 3 0 0

In the 2012 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election, three of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board were up for election in an at-large election.

Incumbent Democrats Debra Shore and Patricia Horton sought reelection.^[13][14] Horton failed to garner renomination, thus losing reelection.

Shore won reelection. Joining Shore in winning the general election were Democrats Kari K. Steele^[15] and Patrick Daley Thompson.

12 judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County were up for partisan elections due to vacancies.^[1] 56 Circuit Court judgeships were up for retention elections.^[16]

23 subcircuit court judgeships were also up for partisan elections due to vacancies.^[1] Multiple subcircuit court judgeships were also up for retention elections.^[17]

Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republican committeemen for the wards of Chicago.^[18]

• 2012 Illinois elections