The Sun-Times reports that U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis is forming an exploratory committee to consider a run for Cook County Board president early next year. The field is already crowded with at least six other officials showing interest. The Chicago Reader has a roundup of the potentials, which includes, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, and of course Todd Stroger. Currently there is no clear candidate for the Republican primary. more ›

In a surprise move, Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool announced yesterday afternoon that he would not be running for County Board President. Claypool, who ran as a reformer against John Stroger in the 2006 Democratic primary, said in an email to supporters that he has "decided not to be a candidate again for Cook County board president. Nor will I be a candidate for a third term on the board." He has also canceled his June 30 fundraiser, and "will be returning all checks." In an early May poll, Claypool was ahead of both incumbent Todd Stroger and 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle. more ›

The Sun-Times is reporting that Paul Vallas won't be making a return trip to Chicago to run for Cook County Board President. Instead, he'll remain in New Orleans where he's currently heading up the Recovery School District in New Orleans. Vallas had also considered switching political parties and running for board president as a Republican. more ›

Paul Vallas isn't the only person (maybe) running for Cook County Board President. Incumbent Todd Stroger has made it clear that he intends to run for re-election, and Forrest Claypool, who was poised to take the seat before John Stroger was felled by a serious stroke, is also rumored to be considering a run. Fourth Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle has also expressed interest in the job. (She even has a Facebook page!) "He's (Stroger) a nice man," Preckwinkle told Russ Stewart at the Chicago Daily Observer. "But it's not the job for him. He's damaged and crippled the reputation of (county) government. It's time to professionalize it." more ›

Paul Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools Chief, and current head of the New Orleans Recovery School District, said Sunday that he'll announce his intentions to run for Cook County Board President "very likely in the next two weeks." Vallas, who would run as a Republican, outlined his vision for county government in remarks on WGN-AM 720 over the weekend. "Clearly, county government is broken, and you just can't do a patchwork approach. I really think that you've got to dismantle and reinvent county government. You've got to deconstruct it before you can reconstruct it," he said. "In the absence of a viable two-party system, the only accountability you have rests in the U.S. attorney's office. That's accountability at the back end," Vallas said. "No one is ever held politically accountable." He then asked the rhetorical question "Preckwinkle who?" (Well, not really on that last one. It was satire.) more ›

You remember Paul Vallas, right? He was Daley's CEO of the Chicago Public Schools from 1995 through 2001, until he left CPS amid criticism from the mayor and a new teacher's union leader who ran on an anti-Vallas platform. After coming in second to Blagojevich in the Democratic primary, Vallas left town to become CEO of the Philadelphia public schools. He's been running the New Orleans since 2007. more ›

With all the jockeying going on to take out the governor recently, it should come as no surprise that Paul Vallas is floating his name as a possible candidate. The former Chicago schools chief, who lost to Blago in 2002 by just over 20,000 votes, signaled that might run again. "While some people have been dodging indictments, I’ve been running a school district," Vallas told the crowd at a City Club luncheon yesterday. "I feel frustrated and angered. And, look, I think I could have made a difference," he said. "Clearly, I could have gotten along with the legislature much better." more ›

Election Day as we know it is about to end. Illinois voters will now be able to cast ballots well before Election Day without the previous restrictions presented by absentee ballots. more ›