Former two-term 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti has a challenge on his hands in his run against Kwame Raoul, the Democratic incumbent Illinois attorney general since 2019, who won his last two elections by a more than 11-point margin.
What does the attorney general do in Illinois?
Much like its federal counterpart, the state attorney general’s role involves both advocacy and litigation on behalf of the state and its residents. This includes anything from consumer protection to working with legislators and managing statewide law enforcement.
Who is the incumbent, Kwame Raoul?
Raoul, the son of Haitian immigrants, started his career as a senior staff attorney for the City Colleges of Chicago, then was a prosecutor with the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He was a state senator for 14 years, initially appointed to fill the seat left open when Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate. Raoul was first elected attorney general in 2018.
During his current term, Raoul has joined numerous lawsuits, some involving multiple attorneys general office across states, over issues such as the Trump administration’s tariffs, social media addiction in kids, cuts to public health grants and preserving access to mail-in ballots.
Who is challenger Bob Fioretti?
Fioretti served as alderman for Chicago’s 2nd Ward from 2007 to 2015. He trained as a civil rights attorney and has run for a number of offices since leaving City Council, including unsuccessfully twice for mayor and Cook County state’s attorney, as well as a failed bid at Cook County Board president.
Fioretti has pointed to unnamed corruption and crime as reason for needing to shake things up in the office, citing his courtroom experience with City Hall’s corporation counsel office, plus his time as an assistant Illinois attorney general and alderman, as qualifications for the state’s highest legal officer.
What makes the attorney general’s office in Illinois stand out?
The Trump administration’s moves against Illinois has elevated the attorney general’s role to defender of the state’s federal funds. Raoul has filed dozens of lawsuits to protect Illinois from federal funding cutbacks. Raoul, along with other states’ attorneys general, has successfully won the release of $2 billion in federal disaster relief funding and federal transportation funding after the Trump White House held up the money over immigration enforcement.
Other lawsuits from Raoul’s office have restored medical research funding cut by the Trump administration and reversed a Trump administration attempt to cut federal funding from medical institutions providing gender-affirming care to patients under 19.