Joseph Berrios

Joe Berrios
Berrios in 2013
Cook County Assessor
In office December 6, 2010 – December 3, 2018
Preceded by	James Houlihan
Succeeded by	Fritz Kaegi
Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party
In office 2007–2018
Preceded by	Thomas G. Lyons
Succeeded by	Toni Preckwinkle
Commissioner of Cook County Board of Review from the 2nd district
In office 1998–2010
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Michael Cabonargi
Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Appeals
In office 1988–1998
Preceded by	Thomas A. Jaconetty
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 9th district
In office 1981 (1981)–1987 (1987)
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Miguel A. Santiago
Personal details
Born	(1952-02-14) February 14, 1952 (age 72) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Illinois, Chicago (BA)

Joseph "Joe" Berrios (born February 14, 1952) is a Democratic politician who was the Assessor and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party of Cook County, Illinois, as well as a registered Illinois state government lobbyist. He was the first Hispanic American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly and the first and only Hispanic American to chair the Cook County Democratic Party. He was also a commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, a property tax assessment appeal panel.

Throughout his career, Berrios combined government sector jobs, elected office, unpaid political party leadership positions, and private-sector proprietorships in lobbying, consulting and insurance sales. His political campaign strategies included ballot access challenges to potential opponents. He has been the focus of investigations into allegations of ethics violations and political corruption with respect to campaign fund-raising and nepotism. In the press and in the courts, Berrios has repeatedly defended his right as an elected official to hire relatives and to accept campaign contributions from those with business with his office.

Berrios was defeated in the March 20, 2018 Democratic primary election for Cook County Assessor, conceding to Fritz Kaegi.^[1]