Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination for the 6th District Cook County Board seat to represent large sections of the south and southwest suburbs.

Candidates Sylvester Fulcher, Wesam Shahed, Patricia Joan ‘Trish’ Murphy, Antoine Bass and Veronica Bolling-Franklin range in experience and viewpoints, though all claim lowering property taxes and boosting health care accessibility are goals.

Incumbent Donna Miller, who has represented the 6th District since 2018, is not seek reelection as she competes in the 2nd Congressional District race.

The district includes parts or all of Bridgeview, Justice, Hickory Hills, Palos Hills, Chicago Ridge, Alsip, Crestwood, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Tinley Park, Orland Hills, Matteson, Richton Park, Park Forest, Steger, Sauk Village, Lynwood, South Holland, South Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Homewood and East Hazel Crest.

Sylvester Fulcher

Fulcher said as county commissioner, he would work to better connect elected officials throughout the south suburbs to create more economic opportunities for residents.

The 51-year-old says he has spent most of his life in the district and now lives in Matteson. As a social worker, he has seen firsthand community members struggle with housing, substance use issues, and abuse.

“I’ve been helping people on an individual level, helping with their families, helping in their homes, and by extension, helping community,” Fulcher said. “Now I want to do it on a grander scale, to be able to convey that we’re in this together.”

Sylvester Fulcher (Campaign photo)

Fulcher was on the Saint George School District 258 board in Kankakee County from 2008 to 2010 and was inspired to seek a seat on the Cook County Board after noticing a lack of political engagement from community members.

“They feel their voices are not being heard. They feel that for the most part, a lot of politicians don’t show up,” Fulcher said.

He said as commissioner, he would work to boost the reputation of the Southland, which he said has been under scrutiny for perceived financial mismanagement in municipalities like Harvey and Dolton.

Major priorities for Fulcher include providing property tax relief and incentives for economic development.

Fulcher said he hopes to apply pressure on the county to send out tax bills on time and work with other municipalities to, little by little, reduce the burden on homeowners.

“I think every taxing body can do its part to bring tax reform and relief,” Fulcher said.

Wesam Shahed

Shahed is an attorney who has worked for both the Cook County state’s attorney and the Illinois attorney general’s offices.

Wesam Shahed (Campaign photo)

A resident of Bridgeview, Shahed said he is excited about the opportunity to represent his neighbors, including many fellow Palestinian Americans.

He is a progressive candidate who believes strongly the county should offer more services to make up for federal cuts, particularly in health care.

Shahed said he hopes to bring a trauma hospital to the south suburbs, recognizing that ambulance travel can take up to 45 minutes for certain residents.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or medical expert to understand someone dies in that ambulance ride,” Shahed said.

He said he would seek to abate homeowner property taxes and provide better food access by adding small business development centers, funded by state grants.

“The more businesses that come within the community, the property taxes get lowered, the economy booms and it helps with these food deserts — it kills three birds with one stone,” Shahed said.

Shahed said he also plans to bring new life to a working group dedicated to property tax reform previously formed by board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office.

Patricia Joan ‘Trish’ Murphy

Murphy says her elected experience gives her a leg up over the other candidates.

Born and raised in Crestwood, Murphy is the supervisor and Democratic committeeperson of Worth Township. She is also on the Moraine Valley Community College board.

Patricia Joan ‘Trish’ Murphy (Campaign photo)

“With what’s happening at the federal level, with the cuts and the chaos, I think the communities deserve someone that knows this type of work and can lead on Day 1,” Murphy said. “With what’s going on, I don’t think this could be a training position.”

She said she grew interested in politics through her mom, Joan Patricia Murphy, who was 6th District Cook County commissioner from 2002 to 2016. Trish Murphy made an unsuccessful bid for the position in 2018.

Murphy said since then, she has grown in political experience, working with various sized budgets and building relationships with other local leaders.

“There isn’t an area of the county I don’t think I have touched in some way or worked with in some way,” Murphy said.

At the county level, she said she plans to ensure homes in the south suburbs are assessed fairly and accurately and use economic development “to dig our way out of this” property tax affordability issue.

She also said she supports bringing a trauma hospital to the south suburbs.

Antoine Bass

As a Matteson-based appraiser and real estate agent, Bass said he understands first hand how high property taxes affect south suburban communities.

Antoine Bass (Campaign photo)

He said working with mayors and state legislators is key, as continuing to increase taxes will only reduce collection rates.

Bass was the Rich Township High School District 227’s board president and made an unsuccessful bid for Rich Township supervisor last spring.

Bass said he is also passionate about providing mental health support to residents, an issue that has affected him directly as a child growing up in Harvey.

“When I was younger, I literally saw my mother get shot in front of me, and then I had to go to grammar school,” Bass said.

He said he faced more struggles in high school, after his grandparents were killed.

“I had nobody to help me unpack all that stuff,” he said. “I know what I went through, so why would I want someone else to go through the same thing?”

As Cook County commissioner, Bass said he would work to bring a crisis stabilization center to the south suburbs, a place police can bring people who are having a mental health crisis as an alternative to jail or a hospital emergency room.

Veronica Bolling-Franklin

Bolling-Franklin was on the Matteson District 159 board for six years and says she is someone “who can’t sit back and complain.”

She said as school board member, she makes herself available to community members and takes their voices into consideration with every vote.

Veronica Bolling-Franklin (Campaign photo)

“My vote is never for sale,” Bolling-Franklin said. “I don’t consider myself to be your traditional politician. I consider myself to be a seasoned citizen who cares about my community.”

Bolling-Franklin said property tax increases hit her and her husband personally, forcing them “to sit down at the table and put pen to paper and figure out how we were going to absorb this.”

She said as county commissioner, she would put together a team to come up with ideas for reform, such as by looking at steps taken by taxing bodies in other states.

Seeing how gun violence affects the school district she represents, Bolling-Franklin said another priority is providing early education about the dangers of firearms as well as mental health support.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/property-taxes-key-issue-cook-county/