‘I’m humbled’: Rinehart wins in race for Lake’s top prosecutor
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart emerged victorious after a tough election against Republican challenger Mary Cole late Tuesday in his bid for another term as the county’s top lawyer.
Democrat Rinehart had about 54% of the vote to Cole’s nearly 46%, according to unofficial tallies.
“I’m humbled by the voters’ confidence in me and look forward to continuing to do the work to make every community safer,” Rinehart said. He thanked his volunteers “from all backgrounds and all political parties who worked together to get the message out that we can make Lake County safer and make our justice system fairer.”
The race was hotly contested with attorney Cole, 40, lobbing criticisms about consequences of the SAFE-T Act that her rival supported, and Rinehart, 48, pointing to lowered crime rates during his first term.
A spokesman for Cole said she had conceded to Rinehart Tuesday night.
Rinehart, of Highland Park, said voters listened to evidence that “the SAFE-T Act was working, there was not an increase in crime, nor was there an increase in defendants not coming to court and that the system could be changed in this way, while keeping everyone safe.”
Cole, of Gurnee, told the Daily Herald she was running “to restore safety, give victims a voice, and remove politics from this office. I will focus on the safety of neighborhoods and work to ensure criminals who should be in prison stay in prison.”
A former Lake County assistant state’s attorney, Cole said many experienced prosecutors left the office under Rinehart’s leadership. “I have witnessed firsthand how the incumbent brought a political agenda to a once politically neutral office.”
She also contends that by supporting the elimination of cash bail, Rinehart has made Lake County a more dangerous place.
Rinehart countered that, “violent crime is down because we created the first ever Violent Crime Unit, because we are preventing dangerous offenders from using cash to bond out of jail, and because we are investing millions in the first Gun Violence Prevention Initiative in Lake County’s history.”
Cole also pledged to “prioritize curbing the gang violence spreading north from the city of Chicago and into our neighborhoods, and work hand in hand with all community organizations, nonprofits, and faith-based groups to make Lake County safe.”
Rinehart noted that “besides achieving justice in the courthouse, we must also engage in strategic planning around prevention in order to stop crime in the first place.”