Recently, the first Latina ever elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2002, announced her bid for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, by submitting over 21,000 signatures. “As a lawmaker, I am ready to apply the wealth of knowledge I acquired to benefit the people of Cook County. It’s time to end decades of neglect, mismanagement and corruption that have plagued the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. My commitment is to bring transparency, independence, state-of-the art technology and processes that are up to the 21st Century’s best practices,” said State Senator Iris Martínez.

Senator Martínez has championed inclusive education and development opportunities for working class families. She is a tireless supporter of women and underserved communities across the state of Illinois, providing the resources necessary to improve their quality of life. Senator Iris Y. Martinez currently serves as Assistant Majority Leader, Chairman of Revenue and Vice Chair of Government Accountability/Pensions. She is also member of the Education, Energy and Public Utilities, Executive, Commerce and Economic Development and Transportation committees. Senator Martinez, who was the recipient of the Hillary Clinton Leadership Award in 2004 is also a member and former co-chair of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus.