Edwin Reyes (American politician)

Edwin Reyes is an American politician who served as Cook County Commissioner for the 8th district, in northwest Chicago. He held the position as a Democrat from 2009–2014.

Edwin Reyes
Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 8th district
In office
2009 (2009)–2014
Preceded byRoberto Maldonado
Succeeded byLuis Arroyo Jr.
Personal details
BornChicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseIris De Jesus
ChildrenNaya and Mia Reyes
Alma materNortheastern Illinois University
OccupationState trooper

Education

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Reyes attended Northern Illinois University in the early 1980s, after which he enlisted in the United States Air Force from 1983-1986 on active duty and eventually earned his bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Northeastern Illinois University in 1996.[1]

Political career

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Reyes served as Chief of Staff for Chicago Alderman Rey Colón from 2003–2004. From 2006–2009, Reyes served as a state trooper on the security detail for governor Rod Blagojevich.[2]

County Commissioner

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One of Reyes' first official votes as commissioner was to override John Stroger's veto of a sales tax cut in 2009.[3] During the 2010 election, Reyes listed his top three priorities as healthcare access, violence prevention, and educational resources.[4] The Chicago Tribune declined to endorse him that year, reporting that "Reyes answers to the men who sent him, Democratic bosses Dick Mell and Joseph Berrios."[5]

In 2013, Reyes supported a $25 tax on gun sales proposed by Toni Preckwinkle.[6] Reyes chaired the committees on veterans and law enforcement.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Cook County Government Profile". Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  2. ^ "Meet Eddie | www.reyes2014.com". Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  3. ^ Cook County sales tax rollback gets boost as new commissioner appointed – Chicago Tribune
  4. ^ Editorial board questionnaires and endorsements – Chicago Tribune 2010
  5. ^ You can fix Cook County – Page 2 – Chicago Tribune
  6. ^ Donovan, Lisa. "Cook County’s special gun tax kicks in Monday." Chicago Sun-Times, May 2, 2013.