Cook Democrats unable to pick candidate

Unable to agree on who they want to slate as a candidate for state's attorney, Democratic ward and township bosses settled on a novel idea Friday: letting the voters decide.

"This is still a good result for us," said Howard Brookins, a Chicago alderman and the man who garnered the most weighted votes Thursday before the Cook County Democratic Party.

While he faces a slew of candidates running for the seat, the party only recognized the top three vote-getters: Brookins, Chicago Alderman Tom Allen and Cook County Board member Larry Suffredin of Evanston.

All sounded a positive note on Friday's result.

"The election isn't here -- the election is on the streets where real people vote," said Allen.

"I think an open primary is the best thing," said Suffredin.

The three had tried in vain to garner a majority of votes Thursday, and while party leaders sometimes then will call for a vote between the top two vote-getters, they declined to do that Friday.

While the party opened up most of its meeting to the public Friday, it asked non-committee members to leave while it debated the state's attorney race. But the closed-door session was short, with leaders apparently deciding the top three were so close they should not alienate any one of them.

It's "probably one of the few times where you'll find where we're in agreement," laughed Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and the committeeman of the Eighth Ward in Chicago.

The winner of the Democratic primary will likely face county Commissioner Tony Peraica, a Riverside Republican who has announced his candidacy. Peraica narrowly lost to Stroger for the county board presidency.