Will Durkin Run for Cook County State's Attorney?
Former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin is weighing a race for Cook County State’s Attorney.
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No Republican has been Cook County State’s Attorney in almost 30 years, but former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin is continuing to kick the tires on a potential run.
Durkin, 62, who left the House this spring after resigning as the leader of the GOP in the House and is a former Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County has been polling and weighing a campaign for weeks.
We asked Durkin Monday about his status and he responded by texting “nothing to report.”
Numerous Republican insiders say they’ve been told Durkin’s team is circulating petitions, but none have actually seen petitions on the street.
Petition filing begins in less than two weeks.
We asked Durkin Monday if he was circulating petitions and his response was simply “working through due diligence.”
Recent polling from GOP polling firm show incumbent Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who isn’t seeking re-election had a 20% favorable/52% unfavorable rating from Cook County voters. 61% of voters polled believe Cook County has become less safe on during the two terms Foxx has served as State’s Attorney.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Durkin, who served a total 25 years as a State Representative. The poll showed Durkin with a 25% favorable/15% unfavorable opinion. But 60% of Cook County voters don’t know who he is.
Even with an unpopular incumbent, Republicans face a steep climb to attempt to win in Cook County. In 2000, Republican Pat O’Brien lost to Foxx, who also faced unpopular polls at the time, but a 54%-39% spread, a total of over 330,000 votes.
Even in 2014, when Republican Bruce Rauner overperformed most GOP candidates in recent years, he still lost Cook County around 64%-34%.
Former Chicago Alderman Bob Firoetti, who has become a Republican in recent years, has announced his intention to run for the nomination next year.
Durkin reported around $36,000 left in his State Representative campaign fund at the end of September and hasn’t reported any large donations since.
We asked a former Durkin aide if they thought Durkin would pull the trigger on the race, and they were skeptical.
“He’s a smart guy,” the source said. “He’d be a great State’s Attorney, but the Republican brand with Trump at the top of the ticket? I don’t see it.”
