Todd Stroger drops out of the race...

Never fear though, he's only dropping out of the race for Cook County Board President. According to NBC Chicago's Mary Ann Ahern he plans to run instead for Water Reclamation District.

Todd Stroger WILL run for Water Reclamation District, not County Board #ILMarchPrimary

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) December 4, 2017

Stroger himself comes from a political family as his father John Stroger was a former County Board President and commissioner. So another excuse for him dropping out of a rematch with his successor Toni Preckwinkle

Todd Stroger drops campaign for Cook County Board President, citing difficulty getting 25,000 signatures in 14 days. @fox32news pic.twitter.com/Q3AS4sIubd

— Joanie Lum FOX 32 (@JoanieLum) December 4, 2017

It's almost inconcievable that he'd have difficulty getting or exceeding 25,000 signatures since he came from a political family. He should still have those connections that his father had that helped him in his political career years ago.

I really wanted to joke that he's not running because of this blog he had when he was county board president. Either way, I find this story unbelievable though it seems for the moment he's taking on a much less demanding political race.

BTW, I just had to add this from conservative activist Dan Proft

Not exactly a comeback on par with Nixon in '68. https://t.co/NxdvPVGLlh

— Dan Proft (@DanProft) December 4, 2017

Mr. Proft was looking for a Nixon-like comeback. Heh.

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• Todd Stroger is back....

Todd Stroger is back....

[VIDEO] You might remember him from 2006 to 2010 he had been the county board president and was formerly an Alderman and committeeman in the 8th ward in addition to being a state legislator in Springfield. He had floated his name for a variety of offices in recent years for example to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. for the 2nd Congressional District or for Water Reclamation District. Today he announced that he wants his old job as county board president back.

Toni Preckwinkle the current president defeated Stroger in the 2010 Democratic primary utilizing voter anger against a sales tax hikes instituted by Stroger for the county hospital and other services. Preckwinkle had that sales tax repealed only to re-institute that tax at some point during her tenure which is something Stroger himself sees as vindication. Also we should mention the recent penny-per-oz. soda tax which is scheduled to expire next month which is seen as another cause of voter anger against Preckwinkle.

It won't only Stroger facing Preckwinkle at the county in the 2018 Democratic primary - which more often than not is the race to watch not the Novemeber general election unfortunately - former 2nd ward Alderman and former mayoral candidate Bob Fioretti is also running in the primary. Time will tell if either man is able to successfully challenge Preckwinkle for the Democratic nomination and essentially the county board president.

BTW, I just had to note in 2006 Stroger controversially was installed to replace his father on the ballot as Democratic nominee for county board president. John Stroger  who was then president had been bested by a stroke not long before the 2006 Democratic primary and he still won the election. However, the elder Stroger was medically unable to continue and Todd was his replacement on the ballot and ultimately was election county board president. John Stroger died in 2008.

BTW, I still wonder if this was HIS blog.

EDIT 9:12 PM Greg Hinz wrote about Stroger running for his old job next year:

Todd Stroger, who endured a rocky stretch as Cook County Board president before being unseated by Toni Preckwinkle in the 2010 Democratic primary, says he intends to challenge her in the next primary. (Check out his TV interview at the end of this story.)

"The incumbent has shown her true colors," Stroger told me today. "Her (political) base is crumbling."

He has done little politically since his defeat, but his name is known from his four years in office and from the decades his father, John Stroger, served as a county commissioner and board president.

Todd Stroger lost the president post largely because of a revolt over a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax he pushed through—and because of continuing criticism over how, in 2006, he was installed as the candidate for board president by insiders after his father fell seriously ill.

Preckwinkle repealed and then reinstated that sales tax, saying the money largely was needed to pay off unfunded county pension liability.

I keep forgetting all these tax increases from the soda tax to the sales tax to the state income tax are all about funding these public pensions.

Capitol Fax: Alvarez fighting to obtain party nod

In sharing this post at Capitol Fax, it's not just about state's attorney Anita Alvarez who sought backing from the Cook County Democrats. Todd Stroger wants to get back into politics is seeking an open seat on the Water Reclamation District. Rich Miller further opines that "This officeholder [Alvarez] really needs a primary so she can be held accountable…"

To go much further, this is really a post about how slating works in Cook County. Over the years there have been articles on the slating of judicial candidates in Cook County. Certainly it's a very political process but hey we are talking about politics here.

BTW, I retweeted this tweet from yesterday Chicago politicos met for slating there are a couple of familiar faces in this photo.

Looking for your alderman?(or any other Cook County dem for that matter) they're probably at Erie Cafe for slating pic.twitter.com/olvAuWeDUV

— Lauren Chooljian (@laurenchooljian) August 18, 2015

 

Alderman Sawyer is in the background on his phone and Alderman Beale is very attentive here.

BTW, to go back to Alvarez for a moment we'll go back to the vault to this post. She was interviewed for a 60 Minutes story regarding false confessions out of Chicago. Do you think Anita Alvarez should have a contested primary?

Todd Stroger didn't file for county board seat

I shared this article on the FB page recently with this comment: "My goodness Mr. Stroger you make noises but fail to pull the trigger. What's going on man? Do you want back in the game or not?"

You want to know why?

He said he was intending to run for William Beavers' 4th District seat. That seat is currently being held by Stanley Moore. The deadline to file petitions for office was Monday at 5 p.m. and Stroger did not file. 

Todd Stroger was of course the former County Board President who was succeeded by Toni Preckwinkle after his primary defeat in 2010. He also had made noises about running for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old 2nd Congressional District but did file for that office.

It just makes you wonder, why make noise if you're not serious in the first place.

PREVIOUS POST: Sun-Times: Todd Stroger running for County Board seat 

BTW, pic in the upper left hand corner is from Todd Stroger's blog and he didn't seem to write on it much during his one term as county board president. For those who remembered it, who knows if he actually wrote on the blog or it was odd satire.

Sun-Times: Todd Stroger running for County Board seat

We've heard former county board President Todd Stroger's name thrown about since he lost the Democratic primary to current President Toni Preckwinkle. He ultimately dropped out of the race for 2nd Congressional District and was keen to take over for former Commissioner Bill Beavers on the County Board itself only for the seat to be given to Stanley Moore. Now it appears he wants to get back on the county board as a commissioner:

Todd Stroger said Thursday night he plans to run for a seat on the Cook Country Board.

Stroger, who lost a re-election bid for Cook County Board president in 2010, said he plans to run for the seat Bill Beavers was forced to vacate after Beavers was convicted of failing to pay taxes on campaign money he used to gamble.

Stroger made the announcement while serving as a guest speaker at a Roosevelt University urban politics class, prompting Professor Paul Green to lead his class in a round of applause.

“I’ve had almost four years to kind of relax and think about things, and I think it’s time to get back in,” said Stroger after the paid speaking engagement.

He said he would maintain his job as an insurance salesman during next year's campaign and he made his announcement not long after telling this class that he disliked being county board President saying: "It was four years of just hell. I was fighting all the time, the newspapers were just crucifying me".

Bill Beaver had filled John Stroger's old seat since 2006 until his conviction in federal court of tax evasion back in March. John Stroger had been incapacitated before the 2006 Democratic primary due to a stroke and won the primary was forced to drop out of the race due to his condition. His son Todd Stroger was appointed to take his father's place on the ballot for the county board presidency and ultimately won the race serving in that role until 2010.

Tribune: Beavers county board successor could be picked Thursday

This Tribune article was posted onto our FB page earlier today with this question: "Who do you want to see as Commissioner?" It's a brief article so we probably can excerpt the whole thing if it's no problem:

Cook County Democratic leaders are scheduled to meet Thursday to pick a replacement for Commissioner William Beavers, who was convicted last month of federal tax evasion.

Ald. Howard Brookins will lead the meeting at which Democratic committeemen will decide who will finish Beavers’ unexpired county board term based on the weighted votes cast in the district in the 2010 commissioner election.

Brookins, whose 21st Ward cast the most weighted votes, said at least six candidates submitted resumes.

Among the contenders, Stanley Moore is considered a leading candidate for the post. Moore unsuccessfully sought a seat in the Illinois House in 2008.

Other hopefuls include Kenneth Sawyer, nephew of former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer; Brian Sleet, chief of staff to Ald. Roderick Sawyer; and Nick Smith, an aide to 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale. Brookins said former county board president Todd Stroger decided not to seek the post.

We already know about Sleet and Ken Sawyer, but Nick Smith and Stanley Moore well those are names we haven't heard yet at least through the media so far! And Mr. Stroger backs out of another race again!

Sun-Times: Todd Stroger wants to replace former ally William Beavers on County Board

Just jumping on JP Paulus's post from earlier noting the conviction of former Alderman and current County Commissioner Bill Beavers.

I'm sure the former county board President still has his fans out there in considering this. Todd served one term between 2006-2010 when he was succeeded by Toni Preckwinkle after she defeated him in the Democratic primary. He even flirted with joining the field for the 2nd Congressional District primary.

When you think about it, I always imagined sitting on the county board as a commissioner was a better fit for him than attempting to live up to his father as President of the county board. What do you think?

With the ink barely dry on William Beavers’ guilty verdict form, another familiar name is angling to replace the disgraced Cook County commissioner.

Former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday he wants in.

“Actually, I do have an interest,” in replacing Beavers on the Cook County Board. “I am going to reach out to all the committeemen this weekend,” Stroger said in a phone interview.

Stroger, who was ousted in his re-election bid by the reform-minded Toni Preckwinkle, said he’s been thinking about a comeback for some time. Beavers was Stroger’s staunchest ally on the County Board and a close friend of his father, the late County Board President John Stroger.

“For one thing I’m 50, and I found that at 50 you have to find something to do, so you might as well find something you know and you like,” Todd Stroger said. “What I said about the county in my term, we need someone who can actually speak the truth in the county.”