Eileen O’Neill Burke (Photo Credit: justiceforcookcounty.com).
In a decisive win, Cook County voters have elected Eileen O’Neill Burke as their new State’s Attorney. O’Neill Burke, a retired Illinois Appellate Court justice and fourth-generation Chicagoan, takes on the role with a straightforward mission: a safer, fairer Cook County.
In her victory speech, O’Neill Burke thanked voters for their trust and pledged to work for a justice system that protects all residents.
“I ran for this office because I had a stubborn belief that we could make Cook County safer and build a justice system that is fair and truly works for everyone,” she said.
O’Neill Burke won against Republican challenger Bob Fioretti and Libertarian candidate Charles Kopinski.
Her career spans three decades of experience in law. She started as a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she handled felony cases, supervised juvenile cases, and reviewed felony charges. Later, as a criminal defense attorney, she worked to ensure fair treatment for young people and adults in court. Her path led to the Circuit Court of Cook County, where she presided over civil cases, and then to the First District Appellate Court, where she issued over 800 decisions.
Throughout her years on the bench, O’Neill Burke taught new judges, sharing her deep knowledge of criminal sentencing, civil law, and judicial decision-making. As President of the Illinois Judges Association, she recently led programs to teach thousands of students about the justice system.
In her address, O’Neill Burke shared a vision of Cook County where safety is real, not just promised.
“Each and every one of us wants to live in a city where a mass shooting doesn’t happen on a regular basis. We all want a community where people and businesses can thrive unencumbered by fear. And we all want our children to be able to play outside regardless of what zip code they live in,” she said.
Her goals are clear: reduce violence by removing assault weapons from the streets, protect communities, and measure the prosecutor’s office by how many lives are turned around, not by convictions alone.
State’s Attorney-Elect O’Neill Burke expressed her appreciation to voters across Cook County in the following statement:
“I ran for this office because I had a stubborn belief that we could make Cook County safer and build a justice system that is fair and truly works for everyone.
Together, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
I am deeply honored to serve as the next Cook County State’s Attorney.
Over the last sixteen months, as I’ve met people in every corner of Cook County, one thing has become increasingly apparent to me: there is far more that unites us than divides us.
Each and every one of us wants to live in a city where a mass shooting doesn’t happen on a regular basis. We all want a community where people and businesses can thrive unencumbered by fear. And we all want our children to be able to play outside regardless of what zip code they live in.
The best way to predict the future is to create it. Together, we are going to build something extraordinary.
We can get assault weapons off our street. We can protect our communities from violence, and we can build the best prosecutor’s office in the country. We can measure success not based upon how many people we lock up, but on how many people we can help get turned around.
The State’s Attorney’s Office has a noble mission – to represent victims, uphold the law, and make justice accessible to everyone. This is a mission I will carry out with humility and dedication.
Thank you for your trust in me, and thank you for believing in the promise of a safe, thriving Cook County.”
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