Cat Sharp:
Fighting for a Cook County that Works for Everyone

Cat Sharp has spent her career pushing to make government work for the people it serves, assisting thousands of neighbors in navigating property tax challenges, accessing essential health care, and fighting for justice through the courts. And she’s never been afraid to take on a big fight–even when her fellow Democrats are complacent or scared to wade into a tough problem or take on entrenched special interests. Her on-the-ground work and organizing experience fuels her fight for a policy agenda that prioritizes:

• Fighting rising housing costs

• Protecting and expanding access to health care, and 

• Ensuring our courts are delivering justice and truly working to make our neighborhoods safer

• Standing up to Donald Trump and his attacks on Chicago and its residents

Every day, Cat works with constituents who are struggling to afford rising rents, property taxes and other housing costs. Fixing our broken property tax system won’t be easy–we need a leader who will bring the problem the focus it requires.

As Commissioner, Cat will: 

• Work to reform the rigged system to make sure the very wealthy and big corporations are paying their fair share in property taxes–instead of dodging their taxes and passing the burden on to regular homeowners

• Demand the expansion of the Cook County Homeowner Relief Fund

• Restrict tax breaks for vacant properties, which incentivize landlords to keep spaces vacant and drive up rent for small businesses.

Cat believes everyone in Cook County should have access to free or affordable quality health care.

As Commissioner, Cat will: 

• Safeguard the Cook County Health and Hospital System’s ability to continue to serve residents, regardless of immigration status or insurance status

• Defend funding for abortion and other reproductive health care in the Cook County budget, especially as reproductive health care providers have seen drastic cuts to grants

• Assist vulnerable neighbors with Medicaid renewal, made more burdensome by the Trump administration’s backward policies

Cat has been a relentless advocate for victims and survivors, helping them navigate the court system. As 40th Ward Chief of Staff, Cat has partnered with our local police commanders and public safety district councils to keep our neighborhoods safe.

As Commissioner, Cat will:

• Coordinate with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to ensure adequate resources and staffing

• Advocate for additional domestic violence-specific training of judges, clerks, Guardians ad Litem and other staff in the Domestic Violence Division and Domestic Relations of the Cook County Courts

• Support additional staff in the Domestic Violence Division, including judges and clerks, to decrease the case load per judge and better support survivors

• Work to expand remote court access, which benefits working people, people with disabilities, and immigrants

Growing distrust in our government is unfortunately grounded in some truth. With Cook County’s history of corruption and the reality that the Trump administration is targeting political opponents while directing government funds to the ultra-wealthy, Cat knows it’s her responsibility to be a steadfast voice for transparency and accountability, and to stand up and speak out, no matter what party is in power.

As Commissioner, Cat will:

• Host regular town halls and office hours to be as accessible as possible to you

• Support expanding the staffing of the Office of the Independent Inspector General to ensure it has the capacity to conduct robust investigations

• Hold County technology vendors accountable and ensure the delivery of projects, reducing the likelihood of delays and taxpayer waste

Outgoing Commissioner Degnen has been the leading voice for our environment on the Cook County Board, and Cat will carry that legacy forward. As a volunteer with Friends of the Chicago River and as a Chicago Conservation Corps leader, Cat knows that serving as stewards of our environment is essential to protecting our health and future. 

As Commissioner, Cat will:  

• Leverage County infrastructure funds to fuel new green infrastructure projects

• Create a clean energy upgrade financing program for residential properties

• Advocate for the full funding of Pace and our public transit system

• Connect families with the Forest Preserves through environmental education events across the 12th District.

In the face of the Trump administration’s attacks on Chicago, Cat has been a leader in the fight to defend our immigrant neighbors, hosting Community Defense Town Halls and Know Your Rights canvasses for small businesses. Cat isn’t afraid to take on personal risk to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors. She’s even facing federal charges for her participation in protests outside of the Broadview ICE processing facility. 

As Commissioner, Cat will:

• Fiercely defend the County’s sanctuary status, which prevents the coordination of the County with ICE on deportations

• Create a recovery grant program for communities economically impacted by ICE activity in the County

• Expand staffing of the Cook County Public Defender’s office, which is overwhelmed with immigration-related cases

• Close loopholes that allow ICE to access County immigration data via County vendors

Cat has fought to reform our criminal justice system to focus resources on combating violent crime and providing paths to restorative justice. 

As Commissioner, Cat will:

• Support the expansion of the restorative justice community courts (RJCCs) in the 12th District, which have succeeded in reducing recidivism, repairing harm to the community, and giving young people a second chance to keep their records clean and get their lives back on track

• Work to expand alternative response teams to move mental health and substance use calls away from the police, getting people the professional help they need, and freeing up law enforcement to focus on violent crime

• Champion reform of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, the County’s Youth Jail, including banning room confinement and expanding access to education and social workers