Elizabeth Nicholson is the Democratic nominee for Cook County Board of Review Commissioner in District 2 in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election.

Nicholson, 58, won the March 17 Democratic primary with 62.3% of the vote, collecting 141,362 votes to incumbent Samantha Steele's 85,444, WBEZ reported. The Board of Review handles property tax assessment appeals. Nicholson says she is running to ensure every taxpayer gets a fair chance to reduce their property tax bill.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Age: 58, according to the WTTW Voter's Guide
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in human relations and family studies (1989); master's degree in social service administration from the University of Illinois (1991), according to BallotReady
  • Ballot status: Certified for the general election ballot

Experience and public service

Nicholson has spent decades in Illinois Democratic politics and state government. She was a longtime adviser to former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, according to WBEZ.

Her other roles, according to BallotReady and the WTTW Voter's Guide, include:

  • Senior adviser at the National Democratic County Officials (2023)
  • Owner of Liz Nicholson & Associates (2019–present)
  • Finance director at the Senate Democratic Victory Fund (2009–2019)
  • Top aide to Jesse White at the Illinois Secretary of State's office
  • Chief operating officer at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services
  • Deputy director at the Illinois Department of Employment Security

On the issues

Nicholson's platform centers on reforming the property tax appeals process. The following positions are drawn from her responses on BallotReady and her campaign website.

Accessibility and transparency: Nicholson says she would make appeals more accessible and transparent for working families and small businesses. She says she wants to increase public data access so residents can analyze trends in appeals and identify systemic inequities.

Modernization: She says she would modernize the appeals process with clearer online tools and multilingual support so property owners can understand and advocate for themselves.

Ethics: Nicholson says she would enforce stricter ethical safeguards to limit the influence of property tax lawyers and special interests on the appeals process.

Community outreach: She says she would create outreach programs in partnership with neighborhood groups, schools and libraries to bring services directly to residents.

On her campaign website, Nicholson says that as commissioner she would ensure every taxpayer appealing a tax assessment gets a fair chance to reduce their property tax bill.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady:

  • IUOE Local 150
  • Citizen Action Illinois
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134
  • Cook County Democrats

Candidate issue positions are based on responses submitted through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Evanston Wire presents this information to help voters evaluate candidates and does not endorse in any race.