Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar began his career in elected office in 2002 by defeating Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez in a race for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly. In that race Aguilar was a Republican. Now a Democrat Aguilar, 65, will have to fend off a strong challenge from Lisa Hernandez’s daughter, Miranda Hernandez, to keep his seat on the Cook County board. The 34-year-old Miranda Hernandez, a resident of Riverside, and Berwyn City Clerk Leticia “Letty” Garcia are challenging Aguilar in the March 17 Democratic primary.
Miranda Hernandez moved to Riverside last year when she returned to the Chicago area from Washington, DC following the inauguration of Donald Trump as president. In Washington Hernandez worked for a congresswoman and two senators and served as a staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her last job in Washington was as a political appointee in the Department of Justice during the administration of Joe Biden. Hernandez is a lawyer who now works in criminal appeals for the Cook County State’s Attorney office after initially being hired last year to be the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
Hernandez’s mother, Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), is the deputy majority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives and the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party. Those connections are helping her daughter’s first run for public office. Miranda Hernandez has been endorsed by powerful insiders such as former State Rep Mike Zalewski, the Riverside Township Democratic Committeeman, former State Senator Steve Landek, who serves as the mayor of Bridgeview and is the Lyons Township Democratic Committeeman, Cicero Town President and Cicero Township Democratic Committeeman Larry Dominick and powerful Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico.
Lisa Hernandez’s campaign committee is paying the salary of a Democratic Party of Illinois staffer who is working on Miranda Hernandez’s campaign. And the connection to her mother has certainly helped with fundraising as Miranda Hernandez’s campaign committee has outraised Aguilar raising more than $50,000 last year with sizable contributions from politicians and unions.
“I’m very proud of my mom; I’m very proud of the family that I come from,” Miranda Hernandez said in a telephone interview.
Miranda Hernandez acknowledged that her mother’s influential positions have helped her fundraising and campaign.
Hernandez said she is running to be a new generation of Hispanic leader noting that her experience working in Washington and her joint law and MBA degrees from Northern Illinois University make her more than qualified.
“It is my hope that you will continue see a stronger, more educated Latine next generation of leadership that comes into this space,” Hernandez said. “I am a qualified candidate here so apart from any helpful connections there just look at my record of experience in public service.”
Hernandez said she didn’t have any criticisms of specific votes that Aguilar has taken but said her qualifications stand out and pointed to Aguilar’s past as a Republican.
If elected Hernandez said she would try to be a visible county board member.
“I want folks to know who their county commissioner is and what the county board does,” Hernandez said. “I want them to know they have representation in this space.”
In a telephone interview Aguilar claimed that a disagreement he had with Dominick about a remark Dominick made in 2024 about undocumented immigrants led to Dominick searching for a candidate to unseat him.
“I’m not going to tolerate bigotry, I’m not going to tolerate racism, I’m not going to tolerate hatred from anybody, especially from public officials,” Aguilar said. “So he’s been looking for someone for a long time to run against me and I guess he found someone.”
Aguilar and Dominick are both former Republicans and were once strong supporters of each other.
Aguilar, who lives in Cicero, did not offer any specific criticisms of Hernandez.
“She’s young,” Aguilar said. “She has a very bright future and they put her to up to it.”
Aguilar, who was appointed to the County Board when the now deceased Jeffrey Tobolski resigned, pointed to his work on the county board to combat flooding.
Aguilar has his own list of big name endorsers led by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and former Congressman Luis Gutierrez.
Aguilar has also been endorsed by 12 of his fellow county board members and the mayors of North Riverside, LaGrange, Maywood, Bellwood, Broadview, Hillside, Stone Park, Summit, Hillside, Westchester, Forest View and Hodgkins as well as by Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman.
“People know my background, they can look me up and make their decision,” Aguilar said. “The people will determine who is the better candidate. I’m proud of my record.”
Garcia, the Berwyn City Clerk, is also running a strong campaign albeit one without the financial resources and big name backing of the Hernandez or Aguilar campaigns.
“I am the progressive, Democratic grass roots underdog,” Garcia told the Landmark. “I’m the next up and comer who has great numbers and great community support trying to make a difference in my community.”
Garcia, 42, ran against Aguilar in the Democratic primary two years ago and made a credible showing losing by about eight points. Last year Garcia, running as an independent, was elected City Clerk in Berwyn.
She is counting on a network of volunteers because she’s raised less than $10,000 according to state records.
“That’s what actually sets me apart from them,” Garcia said. “The fact that I really am a true democratic grass roots campaign. So the people are actually out here volunteering, doing the work that these other candidates are paying for. They’re getting endorsed by big political machines, they’re being endorsed by big names. I don’t need that.”
Garcia hopes that the door knocking of her volunteers can counteract the direct mail pieces that her opponents are sending to voters.
Garcia, a nurse by profession, said that Aguilar has directed a disproportionate amount of county funding to Cicero while neglecting other parts of the district.
Garica is also on the ballot running to become the Democratic State Central Committeewoman from the 4th Congressional District. Her opponent in that race is the incumbent, Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez.