Gov. JB Pritzker (left) poses for a photo with State Sen. Mark Walker (D-27th) after a Monday, Aug. 11 press conference at the Wheeling School Dist. 21 offices. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)
Outgoing Wheeling Township Democratic committeeman and State Sen. Mark Walker (D-27th) lost in his bid for the 5th District state central committeeman’s seat on Tuesday. Voters were asked to vote for two in a three-way race among Democrats, which saw John Cullerton and Margaret Croke elected to the party post.
The role of a party state central committeeman is like that of a party township committeeman: to work to see candidates successfully elected to office from their party.
The 5th District state central committee follows the same boundaries as the 5th Congressional District in suburban Cook County, Lake County, and Chicago. It includes parts of Park Ridge, Rosemont, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights and Palatine, stretching to North Barrington.
In suburban Cook, State Rep. Margaret Croke (D-12th) came in first with 41.22%, or 15,819 unofficial votes, Walker came in second with 31.33% or 12,024 votes, and former State Sen. President Cullerton came in third with 27.45% or 10,535.
In Lake County, Croke also came in first with 50.85% or 2,444 votes, followed by Cullerton who took 27.86% or 1,339 votes, and Walker with 21.29% or 1,023 votes.
But the majority of the 5th District falls within the city of Chicago, where Walker said his name did not resonate nearly as well.
In Chicago, Croke took 46.40% or 46,666 votes, followed by Cullerton with 23.79% or 32,985, and Walker in third with 20.81% or 20,929.
“I was pleased that I won in places people had heard of me,” Walker told the Journal & Topics. He said there was some question early on as to whether Cullerton would run for the state central committeeman’s seat.
Walker did not run for reelection as Wheeling Township Democratic committeeman, a role that State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-54th) won in an uncontested race in Tuesday’s primary.
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