Cook County voters re-elected Democrat Karen Yarbrough for a four-year term as Cook County Clerk on Tuesday night. 

Incumbent Yarbrough, winning 69.67% of the vote, faced Republican candidate Tony Peraica. This will be Yarbrough’s second term after she was elected in 2018 as the first African American and first woman to serve as Cook County Clerk. Yarbrough had no competitors and received 100% of the vote in the 2022 Democratic primary.

The county clerk oversees the maintenance of vital records including marriage and death certificates, issues property taxes and new tax codes and administers elections for over 125 municipalities in suburban Cook County. 

During her first term, Yarbrough oversaw the merging of the record’s deeds office with the clerk’s office and expanded the amount of languages on the ballot from five to 12. She also introduced a voter management and registration system, and added a cyber security division. 

Yarbrough’s challenger, Peraica, ran his campaign seeking to lower the role’s cost of operations and make the clerk position apolitical. Peracia is running as a Republican. 

After losing a race for county board president in 2006, he encouraged his supporters to protest at the county building.

Before serving as Cook County Clerk, Yarbrough represented District 7 in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, serving as assistant majority leader from 2011 to 2012. 

This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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