CHICAGO (WLS) — In a surprising turn of events, Pat Hynes emerged victorious over Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who conceded the race on Tuesday night.
The Democratic contenders fiercely contested the seat, each presenting their vision for the county’s future.
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“Throughout this campaign, we have diligently worked across every part of this county, just as I have throughout my career. We left no stone unturned,” declared Hynes.
Hynes, who currently serves as the assessor for Lyon’s Township, brings two decades of experience as an appraiser for the Cook County Assessor’s Office. He criticized Kaegi for the sharp rise in property tax bills affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.
Seeking a third term, Kaegi countered by accusing Hynes of accepting contributions from property tax attorneys.
“The increase in bills is due to substantial reductions granted to commercial properties by the Cook County Board of Review. My opponent has defended and justified these actions because he supports those who profit from them,” Kaegi stated.
Hynes is expected to become the next Cook County assessor, because there are no Republicans running for the position.
Kaegi released a statement on Tuesday night, saying, “Tonight wasn’t the result we were hoping for. I want to congratulate Pat Hynes on his victory. I hope he protects the reforms we’ve put in place.
I am so proud of what we accomplished together. We cleaned up decades of pay-to-play corruption. We banned donations from property tax attorneys. We brought in real data scientists and put our models online. We made assessments fairer and saved working class homeowners $2 billion compared to what they would have paid under the old system. We got tax relief to a record number of seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities and made their exemptions automatically renew.
We made this office operate on fairness, not favoritism. That fight doesn’t end tonight. It’s bigger than one office and bigger than any one person.
It has been the honor of my life to do what I could for the best people in the best city and the best county in the world. Thank you for your support and for putting your trust in me.”
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