Thomas J. Dart, the longtime Cook County sheriff, is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He has held the post since 2006.
Dart faces Libertarian candidate Brad Sandefur. The sheriff's office oversees the Cook County Jail, courthouse security, eviction enforcement and policing in unincorporated areas of the county, all of which affect North Shore communities in New Trier Township.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Cook County Sheriff
- Residence: Chicago's South Side, according to his campaign website
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Providence College; juris doctor, Loyola University
- Family: Dart and his wife, Patricia, have five children, according to his campaign website
- Born: May 22, 1962, in Chicago
Experience and public service
Dart served as a state senator and then a state representative in the Illinois General Assembly beginning in 1991. He chaired the House Judiciary Committee and co-chaired the House Prison Oversight Committee, according to his Cook County profile. He also worked in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and as a staff member on the Illinois Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
He was the Democratic nominee for Illinois state treasurer in 2002.
He served as chief of staff at the Cook County Sheriff's Office from 2003 to 2006 before winning election as sheriff. Governing Magazine named Dart Public Official of the Year, according to a City Club of Chicago profile. Dart said he was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009 for his stands during the nationwide foreclosure crisis and his efforts to combat online prostitution and human trafficking.
On the issues
Jail oversight and reform: Under Dart's leadership, the Cook County Jail was released from nearly 40 years of oversight under a U.S. Department of Justice federal consent decree, according to the City Club of Chicago profile. It was the only large jail to complete such a process.
Mental health and substance abuse: Dart created the Community Resource Center, which connects Cook County residents to mental health treatment, housing and job opportunities. He also formed the Treatment Response Team to provide around-the-clock support for people struggling with substance abuse, according to the City Club of Chicago profile. Offering treatment to those with mental illness has reduced the jail population and recidivism rates, according to that profile.
Anti-violence programs: Dart created the Sheriff's Anti-Violence Effort program, which provides therapy and life-skills training for incarcerated men ages 18 to 24 from the most violent neighborhoods in Chicago, according to the City Club of Chicago profile. A separate Chicago Initiatives program uses community policing to remove guns from streets.
Human trafficking: Dart said he filed a federal lawsuit against Craigslist in March 2009 to close its "erotic services" section. He also said he established a first-of-its-kind sex-workers intervention team staffed by former sex-workers and licensed supervisors who accompany vice officers on stings.
Foreclosure response: Dart said he committed to assigning a staff attorney to investigate potential mortgage fraud cases and a social worker to accompany eviction teams to connect displaced families with social service agencies.
Candidate information is drawn from BallotReady election data, the candidate's campaign website, the Cook County official profile and the City Club of Chicago. Policy positions attributed to the candidate reflect his own statements. North Shore Weekly was not able to interview the candidate for this profile.
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