Eileen O'Neill Burke wins race for Cook County State's Attorney

CHICAGO - Eileen O'Neill Burke won the race to become Cook County State's Attorney.

With 92% of ballots counted, the former Cook County Circuit and Appellate Court judge garnered 66% of votes to replace Kim Foxx as the county's top prosecutor. 

She had a lot of Democratic Party support to get her name out there. O'Neill Burke said that she would change the office that she once worked in as a prosecutor. 

When O'Neill Burke declared victory last night, it was a celebration that had serious moments. She talked about the loss of Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, who was killed in the line of duty the night before, and she said she would change the violent climate in Cook County. 

O'Neill Burke ran against Bob Fioretti, who had Democratic support from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Libertarian candidate Charles Kopinski. 

O'Neill Burke said she is not a politician but she is a crime fighter.

"There were a million reasons not to get into this race, and in fact, many of the people I talked to said, ‘Are you nuts? Why would you do this?’ But I had this stubborn belief that I could not shake. I believed that we could make Cook County safer and have a justice system that works for everyone," O'Neill Burke said.

O'Neill Burke jumped into this race in July last year. Tuesday's victory speech came after 15 months of a long and very expensive campaign. She is a Chicagoan who comes from a long line of law enforcement.