Ammie Kessem, a Republican, is running for Cook County Commission District 9 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She is one of three candidates certified for the ballot, along with Jon Luers, a Republican, and Maggie Trevor, a Democrat, according to Ballotpedia and BallotReady election data.
The Cook County Commission oversees county government for suburban Cook County, including Park Ridge and Niles.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Residence: Chicago
- Education: Bachelor's degree in American studies, sociology and business administration, Dominican University (1998)
Experience and public service
Kessem has worked as a police officer for the City of Chicago since 1999, according to her BallotReady profile. She holds the rank of sergeant in the Chicago Police Department, according to a Fox News report.
She has also served as a police tactical officer, according to her Ballotpedia profile. She was lead implementer of the Gang Intervention Probation Program, a joint effort of the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County State's Attorney Office and the Cook County Probation Department.
Kessem has been a realtor since 2002, according to her BallotReady profile.
In politics, Kessem serves as Republican committeeman for Chicago's 41st Ward. She was the Republican nominee for Illinois House of Representatives District 19 in 2018.
On the issues
The following positions are Kessem's own responses to a Ballotpedia candidate questionnaire.
Property taxes: Kessem said she supports a hard 1% cap on property taxes in Illinois.
Income taxes: Kessem said she wants to lower the state income tax rate back to 3%.
Government spending: Kessem said she would cut wasteful spending by eliminating duplicative units of government. She said Illinois has over 7,000 such units statewide.
Issue positions attributed to the candidate are drawn from her responses to a Ballotpedia questionnaire. The Park Ridge Wire did not interview the candidate for this profile.
