Former Chicago alderman to challenge Cook County president

CHICAGO (AP) - A former Chicago alderman says he'll challenge Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in 2018 after she championed a highly-unpopular sweetened beverage tax.

Bob Fioretti announced his candidacy as a Democratic challenger Monday in a Chicago suburb close to the border of Indiana where there's no such tax.

He was a two-term alderman and ran unsuccessfully for Chicago mayor.

The penny-per-ounce tax on soda and sweetened drinks has been repealed after a monthslong battle that included a court battle and millions of dollars' worth of television ads on both sides.

Fioretti says "a penny earned is not a penny saved, it is a penny taxed." He also discussed other county tax issues.

Preckwinkle's political director Scott Kastrup says she's in a strong position to win re-election.

The primary is in March.