Boykin is the most qualified candidate
Attorney Richard Boykin is a familiar name in Cook County politics. He is among five candidates who want to be the next Cook County Circuit Court Clerk. With his experience and political savvy, Boykin is the most qualified in the race. For that reason, the Crusader endorses him to be next to lead the nation’s second largest court system.
Boykin has pledged to continue bringing the court’s administrative system into the 21st century. Considering the large volume of paperwork in the vast court system, that initiative is much-needed.
What is also needed is a high-profile public servant who can help disenfranchised, low-income residents navigate through the court fees and fines that have entrapped so many victims of poverty.
We strongly believe Boykin is the best candidate to get the job done. We also trust that Boykin will continue the expungement crusade started by his predecessor, Dorothy Brown.
Many residents seeking better lives still feel hopeless as they remain uneducated about the process of expunging stains from their records. Brown championed this cause during her career and there is no doubt that Boykin will do the same.
Brown has shown that the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk can truly be a public service position that can reach the voiceless and powerless. It takes empathy and passion to do this. Boykin has both qualities and so much more.
Chicago misses Boykin since he left office in 2018. His campaign to return to public office is highly welcomed at a time when politically, well-connected no-names seek public careers, to advance the agenda of the status quo.
Brown defied the political establishment. So will Boykin.
Like Brown, Boykin is an attorney who is aware of the traps and pitfalls of a broken system.
Boykin is a proven public servant. A former Cook County Commissioner, he reinvigorated politics with a new spirit of activism.
After Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed numerous health clinics in Chicago, Boykin led the initiative to place a referendum question regarding expanded funding for mental health treatment on the November 2014 ballot.
The referendum was county-wide and passed with over 1.4 million votes.
In 2015, Commissioner Boykin sponsored numerous ordinances, including: a “no choke” ordinance that bans Cook County Law Enforcement from using chokeholds on suspects. He also sponsored an ordinance that created stiffer financial penalties for individuals caught carrying illegal handguns.
Additionally, he sponsored an ordinance that created a Cook County Commission on Youth, a tax on ammunition, and a Cook County Gun Violence Coordinator and Task Force.
The Crusader proudly endorses Boykin as the next Cook County Circuit Court Clerk.
