Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection.
Speaking during an address to the City Club of Chicago, Foxx revealed she would not run for a third term in office when her current one ends in 2024.
"I am announcing today that at the conclusion of my term, November of 2024, I will be stepping down as State's Attorney. I will not be on next year's ballot, by my choice," Foxx said.
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson released a statement following Foxx's announcement.
"Kim Foxx made history as the first Black woman elected as Cook County state’s attorney, and has been instrumental in working to reform the Conviction Bond Office, which has resulted in overturning nearly 200 wrongful convictions, expunging more than 15,000 cannabis crimes, and bringing equity to a criminal justice system that has long disenfranchised people and communities of color. She has led her office with dignity and civility, and as a colleague at the county level, I am grateful for the work that she has accomplished in her two terms. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors," Johnson said in a statement.
Foxx's decision is not surprising to many insiders.
According to campaign fundraising disclosures, Foxx has raised only $9,000 since 2021, $5,000 of which was donated by Michael Sacks earlier this month. That is the first contribution Foxx has reported from Sacks in nearly a year, as she’s received more than $1 million in funds since 2016.
Local
Foxx’s tenure has also been marked with sharp criticism of her office’s handling of criminal charges, as well as the way it seeks bonds, with critics often saying decisions on home confinement and electronic monitoring have been made incorrectly.
Foxx has also faced withering attacks from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Police Department over its charging decisions, as well as her office’s handling of high-profile cases involving actor Jussie Smollett and singer R. Kelly, with Foxx announcing that the latter would not be charged with sex abuse in a decision revealed in Jan. 2023.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Lightfoot was especially critical of Foxx’s decision not to press charges in a gang shooting that left one person dead and two others hurt in Oct. 2021, with the two leaders meeting to try to settle their differences.
“They shoot up a residence in broad daylight, and there’s no consequences,” Lightfoot said. “We have to understand how that is possible, when this kind of shootout is captured on film, that there are no charges of any person.”
Workforce retention and turnover within the office has also posed a challenge, with nearly one-third of prosecutors and staff quitting in a 12-month period between 2021 and 2022, according to county officials.
The state’s attorney’s personal life has also been in the headlines, as police were called to her Flossmoor home during a domestic dispute involving her husband in June 2022.
No charges were filed, and the couple asked for privacy in a statement issued after the incident.
Potential Cook County State's Attorney Candidates
Former Inspector General Joe Ferguson is a prime candidate to potentially run for that office, along with former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who lost his seat to now Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson in 2018, and Dan Kirk, who was first assistant to former State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.
34th Ward Alderperson-elect Bill Conway, who ran a contentious campaign against Foxx in the 2020 Democratic primary for the office, released a statement commending Foxx for her work while confirming he will not seek the position.
"I want to commend State’s Attorney Foxx on her historic work to reverse wrongful convictions, shine a light on racism in our criminal justice system, and clear low-level cannabis records. I’m squarely focused on the job I was just elected to do, which is to help build a stronger and safer city and new 34th Ward, and I couldn’t be more excited to be sworn in next month. I am not considering a run for Cook County State’s Attorney," Conway said in a statement.
In a statement addressing speculation over a potential run, Ferguson revealed he would make a decision on a potential candidacy in the coming weeks.
"As a lifelong public servant, I am deeply committed to addressing pressing issues, including the need for structural reform of municipal government and the equally pressing need for a comprehensive and effective approach to public safety. The two issues are not unrelated. The news that CCSA Kim Foxx is not running for reelection presents an opportunity. I will make a decision in the coming weeks," Ferguson said.
Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin released the following statement in the aftermath of Foxx's announcement:
“While there will be plenty of time to discuss prosecutorial policy and the future of public safety in Cook County, today is a day to express our appreciation to Kim Foxx for her sacrifice and her service as State’s Attorney," Boykin said.
