Already the Chicago area’s most closely watched primary campaign this year, the race for Cook County state’s attorney devolved into some confusion and much frustration this weekend as city election officials acknowledged a mistake in communicating how many vote-by-mail ballots were being counted and results between the two Democratic candidates continued to tighten.
On Sunday evening, after the latest round of city mail-in ballots were tabulated, retired Appellate Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke still held a slight but dwindling lead over university lecturer and government official Clayton Harris III. O’Neill Burke was beating Harris 50.2% to 49.8%, with just 2,015 votes separating them, according to unofficial results from the Chicago Board of Elections and Cook County Clerk’s office.