Rinehart Wins Reelection As Lake County State's Attorney: Reports

WAUKEGAN, IL — As the polls closed on Election Day, one of the most closely watched local races remained the competition for control of the top county prosecutor's office. Late Tuesday night, the Associated Press called the race in favor of incumbent Eric Rinehart, a Highland Park Democrat serving his first term.

Rinehart faced Republican challenger Mary Cole, a Lake Bluff village trustee and former assistant state's attorney in Rinehart's office.

In a statement to the Daily Herald, Rinehart thanked volunteers and supporters, saying, "I’m humbled by the voters’ confidence in me and look forward to continuing to do the work to make every community safer."

Rinehart has emphasized his focus on reducing gun violence by investing in preventative initiatives and supporting legislation like Illinois’ assault weapons ban.

"Every crime we prevent is stopping a funeral, is stopping the trauma that is rippling through our communities," Rinehart said at a candidate forum last month. "The United States is the most-resourced country in the world. We must put those resources to help people, and to invest in people."

Cole has drawn attention to the high turnover rate within the state’s attorney’s office, which she says reflects a shift in priorities since Rinehart replaced former Republican State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim in 2020. Cole said she left the office because of how “politicized” it had become.

"But also, I think it’s important to point out there’s a very distinct fundamental difference between myself and my opponent. I have the heart of a prosecutor," Cole said at the forum. "Compared to somebody who’s literally never prosecuted a case before he got to the office.

Rinehart previously defeated Nerheim, now a judge, by fewer than 14,000 votes out of about 325,000 cast, winning with 52 percent of the vote.

Since Rinehart took office, more than 100 of the approximately 150 employees in the state's attorney’s office have departed. Former assistant state’s attorney Marina Diambri, who left under Rinehart, voiced her support for Cole.

"As a former assistant state's attorney, I worked under Eric Rinehart and saw first-hand how he prioritizes his political reputation over what's best for Lake County," Diambri said in a video released by Cole’s campaign.

Rinehart’s legal career includes six years as a Lake County public defender and a decade in private practice after founding his own criminal defense firm in 2009. In 2019, he ran for office, pledging to reform a legal system he described as resistant to innovation.

"So, in 2019, I decided to run for State’s Attorney so that I could serve our community by improving a local legal system that cared more about covering up its mistakes and biases than uncovering new and innovative ways to help people," he said on his campaign website.

Read more:

• Lake County State's Attorney Forum: Rinehart Repeats Trump Jab, Cole Calls Out Hawaii Cost
• Republican Mary Cole Runs For Lake County State's Attorney: Patch Candidate Questionnaire
• GOP Challenger Attacks Incumbent Democrat Over 'Sweetheart Plea Deal' For Shorbonia Poole

Rinehart also accused Cole of waging a "Trump-like, misleading campaign" and faulted her for lacking stances on key issues.

“My opponent has never talked about the assault weapon ban. She has never talked about Karina’s Bill," Rinehart said, referring to the proposed state law that would allow judges to order the removal of firearms from homes under protection orders.

Cole’s campaign has focused on accountability and what she calls inappropriate government spending, specifically criticizing Rinehart’s decision to send staff members to a conference in Hawaii that cost nearly $20,000.

"As far as budgeting goes, I think being more responsible with our money is important," she said. "I mean, sending people to Hawaii is not an acceptable way to spend government money, period."

Election results will be updated here as they are made available. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday will be counted for up to two weeks.