Meet Assessor
Fritz Kaegi
Meet Assessor
Fritz Kaegi
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Growing up in Hyde Park, Fritz learned that public service is about fighting for others as much as you’re willing to fight for yourself. His mom was an organizer with Harold Washington, and his grandmother worked for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Fritz always carried that lesson with him. When he saw how the property tax system was rigged against middle-class families, he ran for Assessor to fix it. In 2018, he beat a machine politician who had held office for decades. As the Cook County Assessor, Fritz eliminated the favoritism and corruption of the past, bringing fairness, transparency, and professionalism to the office. Thanks to Fritz’s reforms, Cook County families have saved billions of dollars through fairer assessments and expanded property tax relief.
Fritz is a highly qualified expert in property assessments, holding Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Illinois Assessment Officer designations. Under Fritz’s leadership, the Cook County Assessor’s Office has won international awards for accuracy and transparency for the first time.
Before serving as Cook County Assessor, Fritz worked as a financial analyst, helping families save for retirement and supporting small businesses. A lifelong progressive Democrat, Fritz has been a major supporter of social justice organizations and grassroots causes, including the Fight for $15, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Reconciling Ministries.
Fritz was born and raised in Chicago. He attended Kenwood High, did his undergraduate studies at Haverford College, and received his MBA from Stanford University.
Fritz lives in Oak Park with his wife Rebecca, a teacher, and their three kids.
A message from Fritz
A message from Fritz
Why I'm running
Why I'm running
I’ve called Cook County home all my life.
I grew up in Hyde Park. My family was my political north star. My grandmother worked for FDR, and my mom organized with Harold Washington.
They showed me what it looks like to dedicate your life to service.
That’s why I first ran for Assessor in 2018, and the principle of service guides my work every single day.
I work for you, the people of Cook County — not big developers, not big corporations, and certainly not the political machine.
For seven years, I’ve delivered for Cook County.
I cleaned up decades of pay-to-play corruption in the Assessor’s office.
I made sure mansions and luxury homes are paying their fair share.
I helped create thousands of units of affordable housing for Cook County
And I’m working every single day to make sure big commercial properties pay what they should.
Look, families need relief right now so they can stay in their homes.
That’s why I’m fighting for more property tax relief for families who need it:
I’m pushing for “Circuit Breaker” legislation to protect homeowners when property taxes spike, like they did just this year.
I’m working to expand the Senior Freeze and make it automatically renew so more seniors can stay in their homes.
And I’m fighting for a more affordable Cook County, where corporations and developers are paying their fair share and pay-to-play corruption at the hands of special interests no longer occurs
This fight won’t be easy. The same special interests that profited from the old pay-to-play system want it back.
I’ve never taken money from property tax attorneys who want to turn back the clock. And I never will.
Because when it comes to who pays, you can count on me to make the system work for working people. This is our fight — and we’re going to win.
- Fritz Kaegi