Toni Preckwinkle is an American politician. She is currently the Cook County Board President in Cook County, Illinois, in the United States. She became the first woman elected to the President of the Cook County Board, being elected in 2010. She was previously a five-term alderman in the Chicago City Council, representing Chicago's 4th ward. She is known for championing the controversial sweetened beverage tax, sponsorship of living wage ordinances, concerns about the costs and benefits of the city's Olympic bid, and her strong stance against police brutality and excessive forces. 

She announced her candidacy for Mayor of Chicago in September 2018. She and Lori Lightfoot have advanced to the runoff election to be held on 2 April 2019. 

Famous For

• One of the candidate for 2019 Mayorial runoff election for the Mayor if Chicago.
• Championing the controversial sweetened beverage tax, sponsorship of living wage ordinances, concerns about the costs and benefits of the city's Olympic bid, and her strong stance against police brutality and excessive forces.

Chicago Ready To Elect Their First Black Female Mayor

Where  Was Toni Preckwinkle Born?

Toni Preckwinkle was born on 17 March 1947. Her birthplace is in St. Paul, Minnesota in the United States. She holds American nationality. 

She attended local schools in St. Paul. She later graduated from Washington High School in St. Paul in 1965. Shen then moved to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago. She received her bachelor's degree in 1969. She later received her master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1977. 

Career of Toni Preckwinkle

After completing her education, she started teaching history in several high schools in the Chicago metropolitan area. 

She taught history for 10 years.

She served as President of the Disabled Adult Residential Enterprises (DARE) in 1985 and 1986. 

She has served as a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.

She also served Political Action Director of the Near South Chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI-IPO).

She served as a planner for the Chicago Department of Economic Development during and after her 1987 aldermanic election campaign. 

She worked as an executive director of the Chicago Jobs Council by 1990. 

Chicago City Council

She lost to the incumbent, Timothy C. Evans in her first two aldermanic campaigns for the Chicago's 4th ward in 1983 and 1987.

She was defeated by 77% to 21% margin by Evans in 1987. 

She finally defeated the 17-years incumbent alderman Evans in 1991 runoff election and became Chicago's fourth ward alderman. She was endorsed by the majority of the eliminated candidates. 

She was elected to her fifth four-year term in February 2007.

She has developed a reputation for progressiveness. 

She was one of the only two aldermen to vote against the Mayor's city budget in 2004.

She has supported the majority of legislation advanced by the mayor and his allies, including most of Daley's annual budget proposals and his quest to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

She has championed set-asides for affordable housing as her signature issue. 

She was the co-sponsor of the living wage ordinances that passed the city council in 1998 and 2002. 

She opposed naming a landmark in the 4th ward for Saul Bellow in October 2007.

She also opposed the renaming of a stretch of a street near the original Playboy Club as "Hugh Hefner Way".

She has been outspoken in support of the city settling the Jon Burge police torture case. She has been proactive in the effort to pursue compensation for victims of police brutality. 

Cook County Board President

She announced in January 2009 that she would run for President of the Cook County Board.

She won the Democratic Primary defeating the incumbent Board President, Todd Stroger.

She became the first female elected as Cook County President after defeating Roger Keats in the general election. 

Dr. Nancy Jones, former head of the Cook County Morgue referred to Preckwinkle as "evil" in August 2012. She criticized Preckwinkle handling of the management and budgeting of the Morgue. 

She defended Chicago's action to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis by allowing police to write tickets in August 2012. 

Cook County, under Preckwinkle's leadership, requested an easement to build a road at taxpayer expense in 2018 to pave public green space and the 10th hole of the Canal Shores Golf Course for the benefit of State Senator John Cullerton and a private developer. The easement was approved by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. 

2019 Chicago Mayoral candidacy

She announced in September 2018 to run for the Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election.

She was connected to Alderman Edward M. Burke in early 2019. Burke was arrested for corruption by the FBI. He allegedly pressured fast-food executive Shoukat Dhanani to make an illegal $10,000 donation to Preckwinkle's campaign. 

Preckwinkle returned over $100,000 that had been raised by Burke. She called for Burke to resign from City Council.

She will face Lori Lightfoot in the runoff election to replace Rahm Emanuel. 

Who is Lori Lightfoot?

Democratic party roles

She succeeded Evans as the 4th Ward Democratic committeeman in 1992. 

She was re-elected as the 4th Ward Democratic committeeman in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008.

She was elected Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party by acclamation in April 2018.

She supported Obama for Illinois Senate in 1995-1996, U.S. House in 1999-2000, and U.S. Senate in 2003-2004. She later served as an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. 

How tall is Tony Preckwinkle?

The Body Measurements of Tony Preckwinkle are Unknown.

Who was Tony Preckwinkle married to?

Toni Preckwinkle was married to a teacher Zeus Preckwinkle. They got married in 1969. The couple shares two children. They got divorced in 2013.