Incumbent
Maria Pappas
Chicago mayoral election winner? (2027)
$38.9K
FEB 23, 2028
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleTreasurer
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age76 years old (Jun 7, 1949)
GenderFemale
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LocationIllinois
BackgroundCook County Treasurer
EducationB.A., Sociology, West Liberty State College (West Liberty University)
Notable personal detailsMaria Pappas is an American attorney, psychologist, and politician who has served as Cook County Treasurer since December 1998. She previously served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1990 to 1998. She holds degrees in sociology and counseling/psychology and earned a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. In November 2025, she announced a campaign for Mayor of Chicago.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Maria Pappas emphasizes property-tax transparency, administrative efficiency in the treasurer’s office, and has a record of pushing for tax cuts and budget reductions while highlighting unfair property tax shifts onto homeowners. Her public statements and office analyses focus on protecting homeowners from rising property-tax burdens and improving tax administration rather than proposing major new tax increases.
Healthcare
As a Cook County official Pappas has emphasized cost-effectiveness and prevention in county health services, advocated using existing hospital capacity (leasing beds) rather than building an expensive new county hospital, and focused on serving the indigent. Available public materials document county-level management views and past statements about hospitals and prevention but do not set out a clear position on major federal reforms (e.g., Medicare for All or a public option).
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Immigration & Border
The candidate has made public comments recognizing immigrant communities’ contributions and runs culturally inclusive programs, but has not articulated detailed policy positions on immigration enforcement, asylum, or border controls. Available sources emphasize outreach and celebration of diverse immigrant groups rather than concrete immigration or border policy proposals.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports abortion access and has advocated for reinstating and funding abortion services at Cook County facilities; positions emphasize protecting access to reproductive healthcare. Public statements and past actions identify her as pro-choice.
News
Maria Pappas is in the news as a 2027 Chicago mayoral candidate, with recent fundraising reports showing she has raised about $278,000 so far. She is also facing a misconduct allegation from Tyler Technologies over her behavior during a delayed property tax system upgrade, which has been referred for ethics and human rights review. The reports paint her as an active but lower-funded contender who is also dealing with a separate controversy.
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New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising