The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 6, 2012.^[1]

Primaries were held March 20, 2012.^[2]

Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, State's Attorney, all three seats on the Board of Review, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

2012 was a presidential election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal races (President and House) and those for state elections.

In the 2012 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election, incumbent third-term Clerk Dorothy A. Brown, a Democrat, was reelected.

In the 2012 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election, incumbent Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Moore had served as Recorder of Deeds since 1999.^[9] Karen Yarbrough was elected to succeed him.

In the 2012 Cook County State's Attorney election, incumbent first-term State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, a Democrat, was reelected.

Only Democrats had held this office ever since Richard A. Devine unseated Republican Jack O'Malley in 1996.^[10]

Quick Facts 2 of 3 seats on the Cook County Board of Review 2 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

2012 Cook County Board of Review election

← 2010 November 6, 2012 2014 →
2 of 3 seats on the Cook County Board of Review 2 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Democratic Republican Seats before 2 1 Seats after 2 1 Seat change Seats up 2 1 Races won 2 1

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In the 2012 Cook County Board of Review election, all three seats, two Democratic-held and one Republican-held, were up for election. All incumbents won reelection.

The Cook County Board of Review has its three seats rotate the length of terms. In a staggered fashion (in which no two seats have coinciding two-year terms), the seats rotate between two consecutive four-year terms and a two-year term.^[11] This was the first year since 2002 that all three seats were coincidingly up for election.

As these were the first elections held following the 2010 United States Census, the seats faced redistricting before this election.

Quick Facts 3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 5 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

2012 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election

← 2010 November 6, 2012 2014 →
3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 5 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Democratic Republican Green Seats before 9 0 0 Seats after 9 0 0 Seat change Seats up 3 0 0 Races won 3 0 0

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In the 2012 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election, three of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board were up for election in an at-large election.

Incumbent Democrats Debra Shore and Patricia Horton sought reelection.^[13][14] Horton failed to garner renomination, thus losing reelection.

Shore won reelection. Joining Shore in winning the general election were Democrats Kari K. Steele^[15] and Patrick Daley Thompson.

12 judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County were up for partisan elections due to vacancies.^[1] 56 Circuit Court judgeships were up for retention elections.^[16]

23 subcircuit court judgeships were also up for partisan elections due to vacancies.^[1] Multiple subcircuit court judgeships were also up for retention elections.^[17]

Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect both the Democratic and Republican committeemen for the wards of Chicago.^[18]

• 2012 Illinois elections