Dorothy Brown won't seek re-election as Cook County circuit clerk

Dorothy Brown, the longtime Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, has decided not to seek re-election next year.

Brown's decision not to run closes an almost 20-year chapter for the clerk who assumed office in December 2000.

Brown, 65, said Wednesday her decision to serve out her current term and retire from politics at the end of 2020 has nothing at all to do with the four Democratic challengers who have lined up against her.

Although her campaign fund is virtually empty, Brown said she's convinced she would have won re-election with help from a devoted church-based constituency that has never left her side.

"I feel very confident ... that I would definitely win the election without a shadow of a doubt. This past Saturday when I was in the Bud Billiken parade, I was cheered like a rock star. I have great, solid foundational support. I had no apprehension about any of the challengers," Brown said.

Read the full story at chicago.suntimes.com.