9 a.m. —

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Democratic prosecutor Anita Alvarez has about 61 percent of the vote, with Republican committeeman Tony Peraica claiming about 34 percent and Green Party candidate Thomas O’Brien with about 5 percent.

11:15 p.m. —

Sen. Barack Obama wasn’t the only politician to make history Tuesday night. Cook County residents also elected the first woman and the first Latino to county’s highest legal office.

Veteran Democratic prosecutor Anita Alvarez took a commanding lead over Republican committeeman Tony Peraica early on in the night, leading 76 to 18 percent with about a third of the votes counted. The lead would hold for the rest of the night as Alvarez declared victory just before 10 p.m.

Unofficial results show Alvarez led with 946,032 votes to Peraica’s 319,016 with about 70 percent of precincts reporting at about 10:30 p.m. Green Party candidate and longtime assistant state’s attorney Thomas O’Brien garnered about 5 percent of the vote.

Alvarez gave her acceptance speech to a roaring crowd at the Sheraton in downtown Chicago that had, just minutes before, learned that Sen. Barack Obama had been elected president of the United States. Surrounded by her husband and three of her four children — the oldest of which was en route from college — Alvarez said she was eager to get to work restoring the public’s faith in law enforcement and fighting gang violence on Chicago’s streets.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new state’s attorney in town,” she said. “And she’s ready to roll up the sleeves of her red pants suit.”

The night marked the end of a long and often bitter battle between Alvarez and Peraica to succeed current state’s attorney Dick Devine, who decided not to seek a fourth term. Peraica often accused Alvarez of not doing enough to fight corruption and is known for his sometimes aggressive tactics as an advocate for taxpayers. In 2006, on the night he lost his bid for County Board President to Todd Stroger, he led a televised march into the Cook County clerk’s office.
Speaking to reporters at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago before the results were tallied, Peraica vowed to continue his work fighting for fiscally responsible government, regardless of the election’s outcome

“I would never give up, I will never quit,” Peraica said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Answering her opponent’s attacks, Alvarez said fighting corruption would be at the top of her priority list.

“I don’t owe anyone any favors, and I won’t be afraid to ruffle feathers,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez, a 22-year veteran of the state’s attorney’s office, said she also would crack down on domestic violence, consumer fraud and gun violence. Once considered an underdog, Alvarez won an upset victory in the primary after failing to win Devine’s endorsement.

“There were a lot of people who doubted my chances,” Alvarez said. “I gotta tell ya, it does feel very good to break the so-called glass ceiling here in Cook County."

8:36 p.m. —

Only 57 of 2,290 precincts have reported. So far, Democratic prosecutor Anita Alvarez has about 58 percent of the vote, with Republican committeeman Tony Peraica claiming about 37 percent and Green Party candidate Thomas O’Brien with about 5 percent.

8 p.m. —
Supporters of Republican committeeman Tony Peraica and Democratic prosecutor Anita Alvarez were eagerly awaiting results in the hotly contested race for Cook County State’s Attorney.

Several dozen Peraicao supporters gathered in the ballroom at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Chicago, just across the street from where thousands were gathering to celebrate a possible Barack Obama victory in Grant Park. Around 7 p.m., Peraica began greeting supporters and told reporters that, regardless of the race’s outcome, he would continue to fight corruption and advocate on behalf of taxpayers.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Peraica said.

Less than two miles north, dozens of Alvarez supporters were awaiting her arrival while listening to entertainment from a 10-piece Mariachi band.