{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreieoaxemd5izinwe6mxhdb2xcbmh4vqllo6tbpfpqnfj6ckon5wgqi",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:fcdmaxq5qly33pzgxlwm6ub4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf3ucdppxy42"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreies7r6zbbenae3phlmc4t2nlhcxizajlsmtk3kswcavxtwp67jsiq"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 398760
  },
  "path": "/elections/2026/02/17/what-to-know-democratic-primary-cook-county-assessor-fritz-kaegi-pat-hynes",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-18T00:35:39.773Z",
  "site": "https://www.wbez.org",
  "textContent": "<p>The Democratic primary race for Cook County assessor comes at a fraught time, when residential property tax bills are rising fastest in predominantly Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides.</p><p>It’s because the county’s tax burden is being shifted away from the economic center of the city — as large businesses and wealthy landowners appeal at higher rates and more successfully, shifting more of the burden to low-income homeowners — according to a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/11/17/cook-county-property-taxes-analysis-treasurer-maria-pappas-downtown-south-west-sides?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11172025%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=11172025%20Morning%20Edition+CID_06f49f4c104db8c861653fcf9ca001a0&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Black%20neighborhoods%20are%20hit%20hardest%20with%20Cook%20County%20property%20tax%20bill%20increase%20Analysis&tpcc=cst_cm\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Cook County treasurer’s office report last month</u></a> and a Chicago Sun-Times <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/03/07/property-taxes-loop-pandemic-christopher-berry-pat-quinn-joseph-schwieterman-joseph-ferguson-farzin-parang?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11172025%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=11172025%20Morning%20Edition+CID_06f49f4c104db8c861653fcf9ca001a0&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Sun-Times%20broke%20the%20news&tpcc=cst_cm\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>analysis of five years of tax bills</u></a>.</p><p>Other neighborhoods, such as Pilsen, <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2022/12/30/23532836/property-taxes-increase-pilsen-residents-protest-gentrification-cook-county\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>have seen similar increases</u></a><u>.</u> </p><p>With that backdrop, the Cook County Democratic Party chose to endorse incumbent Fritz Kaegi’s challenger, Lyons Township Assessor Pat Hynes, though top Democrats are still split between them.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/11/17/cook-county-property-taxes-analysis-treasurer-maria-pappas-downtown-south-west-sides\" >Black neighborhoods hit hardest with Cook County property tax bill increase, analysis finds</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/03/07/property-taxes-loop-pandemic-christopher-berry-pat-quinn-joseph-schwieterman-joseph-ferguson-farzin-parang\" >Amid Loop vacancies, Chicago’s property tax burden shifts to neighborhoods</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p><h3><b>What does the Cook County assessor do?</b></h3><p>The Cook County assessor's office is in charge of appraising the county’s land parcels. It also handles tax incentives, exemptions and some appeals.</p><p>The office reassesses one third of the county every year as it plays its role in helping to establish each property’s tax burden.</p><p>Assessors serve for four-year terms and have no term limits.</p><h3><b>Why is the Cook County assessor a powerful position?</b></h3><p>The office has a hefty influence in the property tax process.</p><p>Blunders on appraisals or exemptions can mean a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2024/11/15/senior-freeze-property-tax-fritz-kaegi-cook-county-assessor\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>difference of thousands of dollars</u></a> on a tax bill — and in <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/05/23/fritz-kaegi-cook-county-assessor-wrongful-tax-breaks-erroneous-exemptions-walter-burnett\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>tax revenue</u></a> — though several employees have also been <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/05/27/ex-cook-county-assessors-employee-gets-probation-after-admitting-to-bribery-scheme-helping-feds\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>charged with taking bribes</u></a> in exchange for slashing bills under a variety of assessors through the years.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2024/11/15/senior-freeze-property-tax-fritz-kaegi-cook-county-assessor\" >Fritz Kaegi OK’d tax breaks for ‘low-income’ seniors, now demands proof they qualify amid Sun-Times probe</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/05/23/fritz-kaegi-cook-county-assessor-wrongful-tax-breaks-erroneous-exemptions-walter-burnett\" >Cook County assessor gave $930,000 in wrongful tax breaks, then waived penalties, interest over its errors</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/05/27/ex-cook-county-assessors-employee-gets-probation-after-admitting-to-bribery-scheme-helping-feds\" >Ex-Cook County assessor’s employee gets probation after admitting to bribery scheme, helping feds</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p><h3><b>Who is the incumbent ?</b></h3><p>Fritz Kaegi, of Oak Park, is running for his third term as assessor, first winning in 2018 and <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2022/6/28/23187336/fritz-kaegi-kari-steele-cook-county-assessor-democratic-primary-george-cardenas-george-tammy-wendt\" >again in 2022</a>.</p><p>He first ran as a reformist at a time when the office came under fire under former assessor Joe Berrios — whose assessment methods often favored wealthier property owners and allowed them to pay less in property taxes than those in low-income and minority communities. One of Kaegi's first moves was adopting a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://prodassets.cookcountyassessoril.gov/s3fs-public/page_comm/ExecutiveOrder.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>new code of ethics</u></a> for the office.</p><p>Prior to his time in office, Kaegi was a mutual fund portfolio manager and analyst for 20 years.</p><h3><b>Who is the opponent? </b></h3><p>Pat Hynes, a Western Springs resident, is near the end of his first term as Lyons Township assessor after 23 years working in the Cook County assessor’s office as a residential field inspector.</p><p>Hynes sits on the Cook County Assessors Association Board and is a firefighter/EMT with the Western Springs Fire Department. He is also the nephew of Thomas Hynes, a former five-term Cook County assessor and past Illinois Senate president. </p><div class=\"RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"module-2c0000\" name=\"module-2c0000\"></a> <div class=\"RichTextModule-items RichTextBody\"><h3>Illinois 2026 primary election schedule</h3><br><b>Feb. 5</b>: Early voting and vote by mail begins<br><br><b>March 1</b>: Online voter registration ends, but voters may register in person at <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.elections.il.gov/VotingAndRegistrationSystems/EarlyVotingLocationsSearch.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" >election authority and early voting sites</a><br><br><b>March 12</b>: Deadline for online and posted applications to vote by mail; in-person requests for absentee ballots may be made through March 16<br><br><b>March 17</b>: Polls open for Primary Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.<br><br><b>March 31</b>: Deadline to return absentee ballots postmarked on or before Primary Election Day</div> </div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>",
  "title": "What to know about the Democratic primary race for Cook County assessor",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-18T00:38:24.955Z"
}