Dems at odds on pick for state's attorney

This should be an interesting race next year since the incumbet Dick Devine is not seeking another term. I wonder how Ald. Howard Brookins is doing having just been re-elected early this year to his 21st Ward City Council set...

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) got the highest level of support Thursday from Democratic ward and township committeemen choosing a candidate for Cook County state's attorney.

But Brookins got nowhere near the 50 percent of the vote he would need to run as the endorsed candidate of the Cook County Democratic Party.

That means when the full committee meets today, members most likely will vote to have an "open primary" in which the 50 city ward and 30 suburban township Democratic organizations of Cook County are free to back whomever they want in a crowded field of strong candidates -- unless some last-minute horse-trading happens.

Ald. Tom Allen (38th) came in a strong second to Brookins on Thursday under the "weighted vote" formula that gives committeemen from townships or wards that produce the most Democratic primary votes more voting power than their counterparts in wards that produce fewer primary votes.

Among the committeemen, Brookins got 107,904 in weighted votes, Allen 90,861, and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin 66,522. Anita Alvarez, the third-in-command at the state's attorney's office, got one committeeman's vote for 4,875. Her boss, First Assistant State's Attorney Bob Milan, got none, as did lawyer Tommy Brewer and state Transportation Department Chief of Staff Clayton Harris III.

While Brookins is the highest-profile African-American candidate in the race to succeed outgoing State's Attorney Dick Devine, Brookins' relations with fellow black aldermen have been rocky at times. And support among other African-American committeemen appeared less than enthusiastic Thursday. Only three committeemen spoke on his behalf, one saying he supported Brookins "for now."