Lake County residents who rely on the county health department, forest preserves, or workforce programs will have one fewer elected voice on the County Board until a replacement is named for the late Vice Chair Mary Ross Cunningham.

Both the Lake County Democratic Party and the Lake County Republican Party have issued formal calls for candidates to compete in a Tuesday, November 3 special election for Cunningham's District 9 seat. The submission deadline for both parties is midnight Friday, July 24.

Separately, Board Chair Sandy Hart must appoint a temporary replacement by Saturday, August 22, under Illinois law requiring the vacancy be filled within 60 days. That appointee must be a Democrat, matching Cunningham's party affiliation, and will serve only until the current board session ends Sunday, December 6. The full County Board must confirm the appointment.

Why it matters locally

District 9 covers portions of Waukegan and North Chicago, not Lake Forest or Lake Bluff directly. But Cunningham sat on the governing council of the Lake County Health Department and the Workforce Development Board, both of which serve all county residents. She also served 24 years as a Forest Preserves commissioner during a period when protected land grew from about 24,000 acres to 31,906 acres and the trail network expanded from 114 miles to 209 miles, according to the Lake County Forest Preserves District.

Her committee seats on those bodies remain unfilled until a replacement is named.

Two tracks, two deadlines

The process runs on parallel tracks:

Temporary appointment: Hart selects a Democrat with County Board consent by August 22. Hart said she hopes "others who share her heart for public service" will step forward.

Special election: The winner on November 3 fills the remaining two years of Cunningham's term. The Lake County Democratic Party said a managing committee of party officials in District 9 will choose its nominee. The Lake County Republican Party will hold a special slating session; Republican Central Committee Chair Dawn Abernathy called Cunningham "a pillar of our community" while announcing the party's search.

Who was Cunningham

Cunningham, 80, died Tuesday, June 23. First elected in 2002, she became the first Black woman to serve in Lake County Board leadership when she was elected vice chair in 2018. Before her board service, she spent nearly 30 years working with veterans at the VA Hospital in North Chicago.

Hart described her as a fierce advocate: "She was a stickler for contracts. She was always fighting to make sure that we were paying attention to local business owners and workers. She just never gave up."

Cunningham was known for wearing bold colors and large hats to County Board meetings. Her son, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, said it was deliberate: she wanted people to know she was in the room.

How residents can engage

Residents interested in running in the special election should contact the Lake County Democratic Party or the Lake County Republican Party before the Friday, July 24 deadline. Information about the temporary appointment process is available through the Lake County Board office at lakecountyil.gov.

The County Board has not publicly scheduled its next steps on confirming an appointee.