Michael Murphy, a Libertarian running for Cook County Board president, says he wants smaller government, lower property taxes and less red tape for homeowners and businesses across the county.
Murphy faces Toni Preckwinkle (Democratic) in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Residence: Austin neighborhood, Chicago (Cook County District 1), according to Murphy's campaign website
- Education: Associate's degree, Schoolcraft College (2017); bachelor's degree in computer technology/computer systems technology, Wayne State University (2020), according to BallotReady
Experience
Murphy has held information technology roles since 2015, according to BallotReady profile data. He worked as a technical support group technician at UPS from 2015 to 2018, then as an IT network/systems administrator at Sorbis Corporation from 2018 to 2019.
He served as a system administrator at Diversified Members Credit Union from 2019 to 2021. He has worked as an information system engineer at Campagna-Turano Bakery, Inc. since 2021.
He has no prior public office experience.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Murphy's responses on his campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.
Property taxes and fiscal policy
Murphy said he supports a 1% property tax rate tied to property value, with annual increases capped at inflation or 2%. He said tax dollars should fund essential services and called for cutting waste before raising taxes. "We must cut waste before asking for another penny from taxpayers," Murphy said on his campaign website.
He said he opposes new taxes without accompanying government reform.
Housing
Murphy said he supports by-right zoning reform to automatically approve housing projects that meet existing safety and zoning standards. He also called for releasing idle county-owned parcels for private or nonprofit housing through open bidding or long-term leases. He said he backs rehabilitation tax incentives for owner-occupied homes to encourage residents to reinvest in older properties, according to his campaign website.
Government reform and transit
Murphy said he believes in small, efficient government focused on public safety, infrastructure and essential services. He said he supports consolidating overlapping transit agencies to reduce waste and publishing clear performance metrics for transit riders.
Criminal justice and public safety
Murphy said he supports police reform focused on transparency and constitutional protections. He said he favors ending racial profiling, demilitarizing local police forces and prioritizing violent crime prevention over revenue-driven enforcement. He said he supports Fourth Amendment protections against surveillance without cause, according to his campaign website.
Education
Murphy said he supports expanding school choice, including public, charter, private, homeschool and virtual options. He said he would redirect education funding toward classrooms and away from administrative overhead.
Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady's questionnaire process and the candidate's campaign website. Responses have been condensed for clarity.
