Pat Hynes defeats Fritz Kaegi in Democratic primary for Cook County assessor

Pat Hynes won the Democratic primary for Cook County assessor on Tuesday, defeating incumbent Fritz Kaegi.

Election results from The Associated Press showed Hynes with 52.5% of the vote, compared with 47.5% for Kaegi.

The assessor's office appraises real estate in Cook County and determines its value.

Hynes said he hopes to bring fairness for families.

"Every time there's a new construction property built, it's the duty of the assessor to add that property to the tax rolls. That wasn't happening," Hynes said. "So we're going to make sure that we manage the office, capture that new property when it's built, so that our taxpayers don't have to pay for the new millionaire who just moved in next door, and their new luxury single-family home."

Kaegi blamed changes to his assessments by the Cook County Board of Review for skyrocketing property tax bills.

Pat Hynes currently serves as Lyons Township Assessor, and previously worked as a field inspector for the Cook County Assessor's Office for 23 years, including two years under Kaegi. He is also a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the Western Springs Fire Department.

Hynes' uncle, the late Thomas Hynes, served as Cook County assessor from 1979 to 1997. Tom Hynes served as an Illinois state senator before that, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Chicago on a third-party ticket in 1987.

Tom Hynes' son and Pat Hynes' cousin, Dan Hynes, served three terms as Illinois comptroller, and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010.