Thomas J. Dart, who has served as Cook County sheriff since 2006, is running for reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, Illinois General Election. Dart, a Democrat, faces Libertarian candidate Brad Sandefur.
Oak Park falls within Cook County, and the sheriff's office oversees the Cook County Jail, provides law enforcement in unincorporated areas, serves court orders and runs community safety programs across the county.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Cook County Sheriff
- Birthdate: May 22, 1962
- Hometown: Chicago, Illinois (South Side)
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Providence College; law degree, Loyola University
- High school: Mount Carmel High School, Chicago
- Family: Dart and his wife, Patricia, live on Chicago's South Side and have five children, according to his campaign website.
- Endorsements: Cook County Democrats, IUOE Local 150, Personal PAC, United Hellenic Voters of America and the Gazette Chicago Editorial Board, according to BallotReady.
Experience and public service
Dart held a seat in the Illinois State Senate in 1991–1992 and then served as a state representative in the Illinois House, according to his Cook County profile. In the House, he chaired the Judiciary Committee and co-chaired the Prison Oversight Committee.
He also worked as a staff member for the Illinois Senate Committee on the Judiciary and as a staffer in the office of Rhode Island Democratic U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, according to biographical records. Dart served in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office before becoming chief of staff at the Cook County Sheriff's Office from 2003 to 2006. He was the Democratic nominee for Illinois state treasurer in 2002.
Dart has been sheriff since 2006. Governing Magazine named him Public Official of the Year, according to City Club of Chicago. Dart said he was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009, recognized for his stands during the foreclosure crisis and efforts to combat online prostitution and human trafficking.
On the issues
Jail oversight and reform: Under Dart's leadership, the Cook County Jail was released from nearly 40 years of oversight under a U.S. Department of Justice federal consent decree, according to City Club of Chicago. The organization called it the only large jail to ever complete such a task.
Mental health: Dart created the Cook County Sheriff's Office's Community Resource Center, which connects residents who need mental health treatment to available providers and assists with housing, job opportunities and other medical care, according to City Club of Chicago.
Substance abuse: Dart formed the Treatment Response Team to provide around-the-clock support for people in the community struggling with substance abuse, according to City Club of Chicago. Offering treatment to those who suffer from mental illness has reduced the jail's population, including reducing recidivism rates, according to City Club of Chicago.
Public safety: Dart created the Sheriff's Anti-Violence Effort program, which provides intensive therapy and life-skills training for incarcerated men ages 18 to 24 from the most violent neighborhoods in Chicago, according to City Club of Chicago. His Chicago Initiatives program uses a community policing model to remove guns from the street while reconnecting law enforcement with communities. Dart also said he committed to assigning a staff attorney to investigate potential cases of mortgage fraud and a social worker to accompany eviction teams, in hopes of connecting families with social service agencies.
Human trafficking: In March 2009, Dart filed a federal lawsuit against Craigslist to close its "erotic services" section, according to his campaign website. He also said he established a prostitution intervention team made up of former prostitutes and licensed supervisors who accompany vice officers on stings and perform on-site intervention after arrests.
Policy positions attributed to the candidate are drawn from his campaign website and public profiles reviewed by BallotReady and City Club of Chicago. The Oak Park Wire did not interview the candidate for this profile.
