Cook County Assessor Candidates Clash Over Data, Property Tax Shifts

Kaegi and Hynes trade barbs over 'garbage data', volatility in assessments, and political donations

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The two Democratic candidates for Cook County Assessor, Fritz Kaegi and Pat Hynes, faced off in a televised debate, trading accusations about the quality of data used by the Assessor's office, the volatility in property assessments, and the influence of political donations from property tax attorneys.

Why it matters

The Cook County Assessor's office is responsible for assigning values to 1.9 million parcels across the county, which directly impacts how much each property owner pays in property taxes. The debate highlighted concerns about fairness, transparency, and the role of political influence in the Assessor's office.

The details

Kaegi, the incumbent Assessor, accused Hynes of being beholden to property tax attorneys who have donated to his campaign. Hynes argued that Kaegi's assessments have led to 'wild swings' in property values, especially in lower-income neighborhoods on the South and West sides, causing 'insane' volatility in tax bills. Hynes pledged to focus on gathering 'good, clean data' to produce more accurate and predictable assessments. Kaegi defended his efforts to reform the office, noting progress on residential assessments but acknowledging challenges in valuing commercial properties.

  • The televised debate between the two candidates took place on Wednesday evening.
  • Kaegi first won election as Cook County Assessor in 2018.

The players

Fritz Kaegi

The incumbent Cook County Assessor, who was first elected in 2018 on a platform of reforming the office after a Tribune and ProPublica investigation found widespread errors in assessments under his predecessor, Joe Berrios.

Pat Hynes

The challenger for the Cook County Assessor position, who worked in the Assessor's office from 1998 to 2020 and is currently the township assessor for Lyons. Hynes has the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party and several other political figures.

Joe Berrios

Kaegi's predecessor as Cook County Assessor, whose tenure was marked by a Tribune and ProPublica investigation that found widespread errors in assessments.

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What they’re saying

“It's unfair and it shouldn't have happened and I'm concerned.”

— Fritz Kaegi, Cook County Assessor (chicagotribune.com)

“When things aren't going well, when you get volatile assessments that come out of the county assessor's office, when you constantly meet taxpayers who are at risk of losing their home, and some frankly, who have lost their home, I'm passionate about making sure that we get this assessment right.”

— Pat Hynes, Challenger for Cook County Assessor (chicagotribune.com)

What’s next

The election for Cook County Assessor will be held on November 5, 2026.

The takeaway

The debate highlighted the ongoing challenges in the Cook County Assessor's office, with concerns about data quality, fairness in assessments, and the influence of political donations. Voters will have to weigh these issues as they choose between the incumbent Kaegi and the challenger Hynes in the upcoming election.