1986 was a midterm election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal (Senate and House) and those for state elections.
The general election saw turnout of 55.95%, with 1,476,370 ballots cast.[1][3] Chicago saw 841,085 ballots cast, and suburban Cook County saw 635,2865 ballots cast.[1]
Incumbent Stanley Kusper defeated two challengers to win renomination.
The more successful of Kusper's two challengers was Jeanne Quinn, who four years earlier had become the first Democrat to be elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners from suburban Cook County in half a century. Instead of seeking reelection, she instead opted to launch a challenge to Kusper.[1][5] Kusper's other challenger was 28-year-old millionaire businessman Patrick M. Finley.[6]
O'Grady became the first Republican elected to a countywide executive office in Cook County since Bernard Carey was elected to his final term as Cook County State's Attorney in 1976.[8]
O'Grady won the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune for the general election.[9]
O'Grady's victory came from winning the county's suburbs by a 2-1 margin. He also performed well in some of the ethnically white wards of Chicago, being able to cary 14 of the city's 50 wards.[10]
In the 1986 Cook County Superintendent of Education Service Region election, incumbent third-term superintendent Richard J. Martwick, a Democrat, was reelected.[1][11]
Primaries
Democratic
Cook County Superintendent of Education Service Region Democratic primary[2]
The 1986 Cook County Board of Commissioners election saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms in two sets of elections (ten elected from an election held in the city of Chicago and seven elected from and election held in suburban Cook County).
Democrats lost a seat, and Republicans, conversely, gained a seat.
City of Chicago
Ten seats were elected from the City of Chicago.
Primaries
Democratic
Cook County Board of Commissioners Chicago Democratic primary[2]
Republican nominee Bernard Carey was replaced on the ballot by Robert P. Gooley, as Carey opted to instead run for Illinois Attorney General, replacing James T. Ryan as the Republican nominee for that election.[15]
Cook County Board of Commissioners suburban Cook County election[1][14]
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z"OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). voterinfo.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2008.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v"OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS PRIMARY ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1986" (PDF). www.cookcountyclerk.com. Cook County Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
^ a b c d e f g"STATE OF ILLINOIS OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved 17 October 2020.[permanent dead link]
^Graham, LeRoy M. (31 July 1986). "GOP 'OPENING'". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^Simmons, Dan (12 August 2009). "JEANNE QUINN: 1945-2009". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^Dold, R. Bruce; Cohen, Laurie (23 January 1986). "COUNTY CLERK CANDIDATE GENEROUS AS HE IS ORNERY". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tirbune. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^Neal, Steve (14 October 1985). "EX-REP. NELSON WEIGHS RACE FOR COUNTY CLERK". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^Burleigh, Nina (December 1988). "Jim O'Grady: Cook County GOP's 'perfect candidate'". Illinois Issues. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
^"FOR COOK COUNTY SHERIFF: O'GRADY . . ". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. 20 October 1986. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
^O`Connor, Matt (8 November 1990). "GOP'S HOPES FOR O'GRADY GO SOUR". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
^Martwick, Robert (February 28, 2018). "House Resolution 0869 - 100th General Assembly". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
^O'Connor, Matt (26 November 1998). "ROSEWELL MAKES DEAL IN GHOST-JOBS PROBE". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
^"Our Campaigns - Cook County Board - City of Chicago Race - Nov 04, 1986". www.ourcampaigns.com. Our Campaigns. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^ a b"COOK COUNTY COMMISSION". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune and League of Women Voters of Illinois. 26 October 1986. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
^ a bDold, R. Bruce (30 October 1986). "CAREY FIGHTS HARTIGAN'S LEAD IN ATTORNEY GENERAL CONTEST". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 April 2020.