Cardenas leading incumbent Wendt in Democratic Cook County Board of Review contest

Chicago Ald. George Cardenas led incumbent Tammy Wendt early Wednesday in the Democratic primary race for the Cook County Board of Review's District 1 seat.

With nearly all precincts counted, Cardenas had 54,700 votes to Wendt's 41,550. It was not immediately known if that total includes early and mail-in ballots.

No Republican candidate has filed to run for the seat.

Cardenas, 57, has represented the 12th Ward on the Chicago City Council for nearly 20 years and is currently floor leader and chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy. He touted his experience working for Fortune 500 companies on tax policy, auditing, data mining, and corporate management, and said that as a commissioner, he would fight against unfair assessments by reviewing each assessor's decisions based on the fair market value of each property.

Wendt, 51, of Palos Heights, is seeking her second term on the board. She said she is the only commissioner who is a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer.

An attorney and a real estate broker, Wendt said that during her short tenure, the district replicated in-person services into a virtual setting to ensure the property tax appeal process was not disrupted by COVID-19. District 1, she said, also implemented virtual and in-person outreach sessions to educate property owners on how to complete the property tax appeal process.