Chicago Mayor Candidate: Toni Preckwinkle

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Monday, March 18, 2019
Who is Toni Preckwinkle?
Here's a closer look at Chicago mayoral candidate Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's campaign promises.

Toni Preckwinkle spent 19 years as the Alderman of the 4th Ward. During that time, she co-founded the city council's Progressive Caucus. On her campaign website, Preckwinkle lists two notable moments during her tenure as alderman: sponsoring the "Big Box Ordinance" and being "one of only five Alderman to vote against the parking meter deal that has robbed the City of millions of dollars in revenue."

WATCH: Toni Preckwinkle on Newsviews, Part 1

Watch part 1 of an interview with Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle.

Toni Preckwinkle was elected in 2010 as Cook County Board President, the first African American woman elected to run the roughly $5 billion government of the 2nd largest county in the nation. Online she highlights having taken "steps to unseat incumbent State's Attorney Anita Alvarez" in 2015.

As the top executive in Cook County, Toni oversees one of the nation's largest public health and hospitals systems and, one of the largest criminal justice systems and the largest Forest Preserve system in the country.

WATCH: Toni Preckwinkle on Newsviews, Part 2

Watch part 2 of an interview with Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle.

Before her political career, Toni Preckwinkle spent 10 years teaching high school history. She credits her time in the classroom as not only preparing her for public service but helping to shape her policy priorities. During that time, according to her campaign website, she lost a student to gun violence.

WATCH: Craig Wall's full interview with Toni Preckwinkle

Mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle sat down with ABC7's Craig Wall with five weeks to go until the April 2 runoff election.

She also spent time working for Mayor Harold Washington's Department of Economic Development.

Biographical information from toniforchicago.com.