For Immediate Release: October 15, 2018

Contact: Kristi Sanford, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or 773-456-4024

Reclaim Chicago is proud to endorse Abdelnasser Rashid for Cook County Commissioner in the 17th District and Kevin Morrison for Cook County Commissioner in the 15th District.

Both Rashid and Morrison are running for seats in the western suburbs on a progressive platform. Both are challenging Republicans with party leadership positions that have consistently put corporate interests before the needs of working families.

Both incumbents voted against raising the Cook County Minimum Wage to match Chicago’s, and both are key allies of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner whose budget cuts have deeply wounded Illinois’ social services providers and public universities. Rashid is challenging the chair of the Cook County GOP and Morrison wants to unseat the chair of the Illinois GOP.

“It’s not enough to defeat Republican incumbents; we need elected representatives that will fight for public services, fair taxation, the rights of workers and the rights of women, people of color, LGBTQ folks and immigrants,” said Amanda Weaver, Executive Director of Reclaim Chicago. “Right now, the Cook County board is dominated by corporate Democrats. If elected, Rashid and Morrison would join the several progressives who defeated centrists in the primary: Brandon Johnson, Bridget Degnen and Alma Anaya. Along with progressive Larry Suffredin, this group of six can ensure the Cook County Board leads the nation in putting the needs of people and our communities first.”

Abdelnasser Rashid and Kevin Morrison are running to protect and expand County Care and other vital county services, to create fairness in Cook County’s property tax system, to protect the Cook County Forest Preserve, to protect the rights of county workers and to expand the rights of all working people in Cook County. Both candidates recognize Cook County has a tremendous responsibility to reform its racist criminal justice system and will work with Reclaim Chicago and its allies for change.

Reclaim Chicago is known for its ability to mobilize grassroots volunteers to have neighbor-to-neighbor conversations with fellow voters and has a growing suburban base. Reclaim Chicago is supported by The People’s Lobby and National Nurses United. The People’s Lobby organizes people at the grassroots on issues ranging from austerity and budgets to mass incarceration, good jobs, climate change and campaign finance reform. National Nurses United, with 6,500 Registered Nurses in Illinois and close to 185,000 members across the country, is the largest union and professional association of RNs in U.S. history.

Learn more at www.reclaimchicago.org, www.facebook.com/reclaimchicago or www.twitter.com/reclaimchicago.

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