Morrison Squeaks By Rashid In Cook County Board Nail Biter

COOK COUNTY, IL — Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison held off democratic challenger Abdelnasser Rashid in a highly competitive race for the 17th District seat on the Cook County Board. Morrison maintained a slim lead with Rashid breathing down his neck most of the evening.

With all 257 precincts reporting, Morrison carved out 60,290 votes to Rashid’s 58,267, according to unofficial vote totals. This was the first election in which Morrison, a Palos Park security consultant, faced voters after being appointed to fill a board vacancy in 2015. Morrison is also the chair of the Cook County Republican Party.

Morrison thanked voters in a written statement:

"The election results are in and I want to sincerely thank the voters of the 17thDistrict for returning me back to the Cook County Board for four more years.

"I’ve worked hard over the past three years to protect the interests of Cook County taxpayers by taking on and defeating terrible tax policies and irresponsible spending.

"I look forward to working with my board colleagues to move Cook County forward in a positive and productive direction. Our residents deserve nothing less."

Rashid conceded the race in a Facebook message to supporters stating that he had “fallen just short” of unseating the incumbent commissioner.

Morrison won the endorsements of major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, Southwest Messenger and Journal Topics and News. Most praised Morrison for providing balance and the “tax and spend” Democratic majority board.

In other county board races, Democratic challengers toppled Republican-held seats in the 14th and 15th District seats, making Morrison and Peter Silvestri the lone Republicans on the Cook County Board.

Democratic challenger Abdelnasser Rashid called the race against GOP incumbent Sean Morrison “too close to call” before sending supporters home Tuesday evening.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners governs the second-largest county in the United States, overseeing a $6 billion budget. The 17th District stretches from south suburban Orland Park to northwest suburban Des Plaines, and includes all or parts of municipalities within the townships of Bremen, Elk Grove, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, Orland, Palos, Proviso, Worth and Riverside.

Morrison was appointed in 2015 to fill a vacancy on the board left by the former Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth Gorman. As chair of the Cook County Republican Committee, Morrison drew criticism for not working harder to prevent GOP challenger and avowed neo-Nazi Art Jones from getting on the ballot in Illinois 3rd Congressional District. Morrison has also publicly defended Palos Twp. Trustee Sharon Brannigan, who has drawn the ire of Arab Americans and Muslims for disparaging remarks she made on social media.

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As commissioner, Morrison claimed credit as a chief sponsor and author of the ordinance to repeal Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s unpopular sweetened beverage tax. Morrison was also nationally recognized by The Tax Foundation for “outstanding achievement in state tax reform.” He is one of four Republicans sitting on the Cook County Board, outnumbered by 13 Democrats.

In its endorsement of Morrison, the Tribune editorial board said that they expect Republican Morrison to “retain some party balance” to the “tax and spend Democratic majority board)” for suburban voters.

Justice resident Rashid is a Harvard graduate and has worked as a public administer in the Cook County Clerk’s office. Rashid is a progressive Democrat aligned with the Bernie Sanders-inspire Our Revolution. He claimed to have worked to consolidate the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office with the county clerk's office, "saving taxpayers at least $20 million over ten years." The married father-of-three ran on a platform of property tax reform, affordable and quality health care, workers' rights and other policies that prioritize working and middle class families. Rashid also pledged to address the opioid epidemic.

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Rashid has earned a raft of endorsements from five Democratic congressmen (Jan Schakowsky, Bill Foster, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez), U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, congressional candidate Chuy Garcia and Cook County Clerk David Orr. He also won union support from the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFCME Council 31, Our Revolution, Our Revolution Illinois and United Working Families, to name some. Despite the endorsements from heavy hitting dems and union support, Rashid fell short.

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