Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly formally announced his intent Wednesday to take on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the March 2026 Democratic primary, arguing “Cook County government is broken and is long overdue for change.”

His entrance is not a surprise. Reilly, 53, had first floated his interest in the role back in April and made no secret in recent weeks that he was passing petitions to take on Preckwinkle, the four-term incumbent who also heads the Cook County Democratic Party.

In an interview Wednesday at his River North campaign headquarters, Reilly suggested he would be running to Preckwinkle’s right. The lifelong progressive who has led the county board since 2010 has run up the county’s budget with little to show for it, Reilly said.

County voters “want to get gov

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