| Flag Image: | File:Flag of Cook County, Illinois (1961–2022).svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1996 Cook County, Illinois, elections |
| Previous Year: | 1996 |
| Next Election: | 2000 Cook County, Illinois, elections |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Turnout: | 54.61% |
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 1998.[1]
Primaries were held on March 17, 1998.[2]
Elections were held for Assessor, Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 17 seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, all 3 seats of the Cook County Board of Review, 4 seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.
1998 was a midterm election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal (Senate and House) and those for state elections.
Voter turnout in Cook County during the primaries was 28.68%.[3]
On its own, suburban Cook County saw 23.95% turnout.[2] [4]
| Primary | Chicago vote totals | Suburban Cook County vote totals | Total Cook County vote totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 431,146 | 182,250 | 613,396 | ||
| 25,783 | 136,260 | 162,043 | ||
| 38 | 25 | 63 | ||
| 112 | 152 | 264 | ||
| Nonpartisan | 531 | 4,283 | 4,814 | |
| Total | 457,610 | 322,970 | 780,580 |
The general election saw 54.61% turnout, with 1,433,423 ballots cast.[3] Chicago saw 752,506 ballots cast while suburban Cook County saw 53.95% turnout (with 680,917 ballots cast).[1] [4]
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Assessor election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#Assessor |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Assessor |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Candidate1: | James Houlihan |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 926,646 |
| Percentage1: | 75.58% |
| Candidate2: | Jose Carlos Gomez |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 260,245 |
| Percentage2: | 21.23% |
| Assessor | |
| Before Election: | James Houlihan |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | James Houlihan |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 46.71% |
In the 1998 Cook County Assessor election, incumbent assessor James Houlihan, a Democrat, was elected to his first full-term. Houlihan had been appointed to the office in 1997, after Thomas Hynes (who had served as Cook County assessor since 1978) opted to resign from the office.[5]
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Clerk election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#Clerk |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Clerk |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Candidate1: | David Orr |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 988,136 |
| Percentage1: | 77.30% |
| Candidate2: | Judie A. Jones |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 290,256 |
| Percentage2: | 22.70% |
| Clerk | |
| Before Election: | David Orr |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | David Orr |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 48.70% |
In the 1998 Cook County Clerk election, incumbent second-term clerk David Orr, a Democrat, was reelected.
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Sheriff election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#Sheriff |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Sheriff |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Candidate1: | Michael F. Sheahan |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 903,053 |
| Percentage1: | 71.11% |
| Candidate2: | LeRoy Martin |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 366,867 |
| Percentage2: | 28.89% |
| Sheriff | |
| Before Election: | Michael F. Sheahan |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Michael F. Sheahan |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 48.38% |
In the 1998 Cook County Sheriff election, incumbent second-term sheriff Michael F. Sheahan, a Democrat, was reelected.
Former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department LeRoy Martin won the Republican primary.
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Treasurer election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#Treasurer |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Treasurer |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Candidate1: | Maria Pappas |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 978,373 |
| Percentage1: | 77.79% |
| Candidate2: | Anthony Peraica |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 279,355 |
| Percentage2: | 22.21% |
| Treasurer | |
| Before Election: | Edward J. Rosewell |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Maria Pappas |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 47.91% |
In the 1998 Cook County Treasurer election, incumbent sixth-term treasurer Edward J. Rosewell, a Democrat, did not seek reelection after having been indicted over a ghost jobs scheme (for which he would ultimately plead guilty).[6] Cook County Commissioner Maria Pappas was elected to succeed him.
| Election Name: | 1998 President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Candidate1: | John Stroger |
| Image1: | 3x4.svg |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 834,972 |
| Percentage1: | 63.49% |
| Candidate2: | Aurelia Pucinski |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 480,191 |
| Percentage2: | 36.61% |
| President | |
| Before Election: | John Stroger |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John Stroger |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 50.10% |
In the 1998 President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners election, incumbent first-term president John Stroger, a Democrat, was reelected.
Incumbent John H. Stroger, Jr. defeated Cook County commissioner Calvin R. Sutker.
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Aurelia Pucinski left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican party in December 1997 to run as its nominee for President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.[7]
See also: 1998 Cook County Board of Commissioners election.
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Board of Commissioners election |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County Board of Commissioners election |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County Board of Commissioners election |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Seats For Election: | All 17 seats on the Cook County Board of Commissioners |
| Majority Seats: | 9 |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 11 |
| Seats1: | 12 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 791,445 |
| Percentage1: | 70.39% |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats Before2: | 6 |
| Seats2: | 5 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | 332,957 |
| Percentage2: | 29.61% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
The 1998 Cook County Board of Commissioners election saw all seventeen seats of the Cook County Board of Commissioners up for election to four-year terms.
| Election Name: | 1998 Cook County Board of Review election |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Cook County, Illinois elections#Cook County Board of Appeals |
| Previous Year: | 1994 (Board of Appeals) |
| Next Election: | 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Cook County Board of Review |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Seats For Election: | 3 of 3 seats on the Cook County Board of Review |
| Majority Seats: | 2 |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Races won |
| Seats After1: | 2 |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats After2: | 1 |
| Map Size: | 300px |
In the 1998 Cook County Board of Review election, all three seats were up for election. This was the first election for what would be a newly reconstituted body. In 1996, the Illinois Legislature successfully passed Public Act 89-671, which made it so that, in 1998, the Cook County Board of Appeals would be renamed Cook County Board of Review and be reconstituted as a three-member body.[8]
All elections held in 1998 were for four-year terms.[9]
See also: Cook County Board of Review 1st district.
Republican Maureen Murphy defeated Democrat David McAfee.[9]
See also: Cook County Board of Review 2nd district.
Joseph Berrios a ten incumbent on the predecessor organization, the Cook County Board of (Tax) Appeals, was elected, running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general election.
No candidates ran in the Republican primary.[2]
See also: Cook County Board of Review 3rd district.
Robert Shaw, a Democrat, was elected.
No candidates ran in the Republican primary.[2]
| Election Name: | 1998 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1996 Cook County, Illinois elections#Water Reclamation District Board |
| Previous Year: | 1996 |
| Next Election: | 2000 Cook County, Illinois elections#Water Reclamation District Board |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Seats For Election: | 4 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago |
| Majority Seats: | 5 |
| Map Size: | 300px |
In the 1998 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election, four of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board were up for election. Three were regularly scheduled elections, and one was a special election due to a vacancy.[2] [1]
Democrats won all four seats up for election.
Democratic incumbents Gloria Alitto Majewski and Patricia Young were reelected in the at-large election.[1] [10] [11]
Three six-year term seats were up for an at-large election. Since three six-year seats were up for election, voters could vote for up to three candidates, and the top-three finishers would win.
A special election was held to fill a seat left vacant.
Partisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County, due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.[1]
Partisan elections were also held for subcircuit courts judgeships due to vacancies. Other judgeships had retention elections.[1]
One ballot question was included on ballots county-wide during the March primary election.
An advisory referendum was included on the March primary ballots on the Managed Care Act.
Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republican committeemen for the suburban townships.[2]