Thomas J. Dart, the Cook County sheriff since 2006, is seeking reelection as a Democrat in the Nov. 3, 2026, Illinois General Election. Brad Sandefur is also running for the seat as a Libertarian, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Residence: Chicago's South Side, according to his campaign website. He and his wife, Patricia, have five children, according to the campaign.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history from Providence College; law degree from Loyola University
- Endorsements: Cook County Democrats, IUOE Local 150, Personal PAC, United Hellenic Voters of America and the Gazette Chicago Editorial Board, according to BallotReady
Experience and public service
Dart graduated from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago before attending Providence College and Loyola University, according to Wikipedia.
He worked as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island and as a staff member on the Illinois Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He served as a state senator in 1991–1992 and then as a state representative beginning in 1992, according to BallotReady.
In the Illinois House, Dart chaired the Judiciary Committee and co-chaired the Prison Oversight Committee, according to Cook County records. He also worked in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, according to BallotReady, and was the Democratic nominee for Illinois state treasurer in 2002, according to Wikipedia.
Dart became chief of staff at the Cook County Sheriff's Office in 2003 and was elected sheriff in 2006.
He has held the office since.
Governing Magazine named Dart a Public Official of the Year, according to the City Club of Chicago. Dart's campaign says TIME Magazine named him one of its 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009 for his work during the foreclosure crisis and efforts against online prostitution and human trafficking.
On the issues
Jail oversight and reform: Under Dart's leadership, 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. The City Club described it as the only large jail to complete such a process.
Mental health and substance abuse: Dart created the Sheriff's Office Community Resource Center, which connects Cook County residents to mental health treatment, housing, job opportunities and medical care, according to the City Club of Chicago. He also formed the Treatment Response Team to provide around-the-clock support for people struggling with substance abuse. The City Club reported that offering treatment to those with mental illness has reduced the jail's population and recidivism rates.
Violence prevention: Dart created the Sheriff's Anti-Violence Effort program, which provides therapy and life-skills training for incarcerated men ages 18 to 24 from Chicago's most violent neighborhoods, according to the City Club of Chicago. The Sheriff's Chicago Initiatives program uses a community policing model focused on removing guns from streets and reconnecting law enforcement with communities.
Human trafficking: In March 2009, Dart filed a federal lawsuit against Craigslist to close its "erotic services" section, according to his campaign website. He also established an intervention team of people formerly in prostitution and licensed supervisors who accompany vice officers on stings, the campaign says.
Foreclosure response: Dart's campaign says he assigned 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 profile responses were gathered through BallotReady, the candidate's campaign website and public records. Evanston Wire reached out to the candidate for an interview but had not received a response as of publication.
