Competitive Races In La Grange-Area County District

LA GRANGE, IL — Residents in the Cook County Board's 17th district will vote on Tueseday on who will move on to the November general election.

The 17th District includes parts of La Grange, Hinsdale, Western Springs and Burr Ridge. The incumbent commissioner, Republican Sean Morrison of Palos Park, is facing a primary challenge from former Commissioner Liz Doody Gorman of Orland Park.

Gorman stepped down as the 17th District commissioner in 2015, and Morrison was appointed to succeed her. He was elected to his first full term in 2018.

Gorman has criticized Morrison for being too much of a "lone wolf" on the Democrat-controlled board, the Daily Herald reported. Morrison is one of only two Republicans on the 17-member board. Gorman said she has a record of being able to work across party lines.

For his part, Morrison seems to enjoy being the board's lone wolf. He said it has led to increased pension funding, better oversight of the county’s health and hospital system, and the repeal of the sugar tax in 2017.

Morrison has accused Gorman’s campaign of anonymously sending disparaging messages about him to prospective voters, the Chicago Tribune reported. This comes as WBEZ and the Sun-Times have reported that Morrison’s hometown police have patrolled his house 415 times since he first took office.

Morrison said he has not asked for these “special attention” patrols, but he also criticized board President Toni Preckwinkle and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for having security details.

On the Democratic side, La Grange Trustee Lou Gale is running against former Orland Park Trustee Daniel Calandriello. Gale said the district needs a representative who is focused on rebuilding and bringing people together after the pandemic. According to his campaign website, he would work to strengthen the county’s healthcare system.

Calandriello said as commissioner he would prioritize public safety, investments in mental health services and local businesses. He said he would serve no more than three terms as commissioner, according to his campaign website.

While the district has been Republican since its creation in 1994, Morrison barely beat Democratic challenger Abdelnasser Rashid by just over 1,370 votes in 2018.