I’m running for commissioner to bring a fresh, independent voice to the Cook County Board.

From testifying before lawmakers to training the next generation of civic leaders, Che-Che brings deep experience and community roots. As County Commissioner, he’ll fight for every resident, increase collaboration, and build a more responsive Cook County.

Meet Che-Che

Healthcare advocate. LGBTQ+ leader. A new kind of candidate for a new era.

José “Che-Che” Wilson is a lifelong resident of the 12th District and a seasoned public health and LGBTQ+ rights advocate. For the last two decades, he has worked at the intersection of health equity, civic engagement, and public policy.

Che-Che began his career in healthcare — first as a teenage volunteer with CALOR on Chicago’s West Side, then later with Cook County’s CORE Center and the Center on Halsted. Across these roles, he connected over 60,000 people to care through HIV testing, ACA enrollment, and a variety of other community health programs.

That frontline work fueled a broader commitment to fighting for our communities. He went on to support national litigation against the Trump administration with Lambda Legal, and now serves as Director of Civic Engagement at Equality Illinois, where he organizes communities across the state to protect LGBTQ+ rights and encourage voter participation.

Born and raised in Wicker Park, Che-Che now owns a home with his husband Sam on the same block where he grew up and serves on the local school council at Rudy Lozano Elementary. Now, he’s running for Cook County Commissioner to bring honest, community-centered leadership to local government — and to fight for a county that truly works for all of us.

Supported by community leaders

Che-Che is honored to have the support of a diverse coalition of community leaders:

  • Alderwoman Ruth Cruz, 30th Ward

  • Alderman Lamont Robinson, 4th Ward

  • Former Majority Leader Greg Harris, Illinois House of Representatives

  • Jamie Brown, Police District Council, 1st District

  • Oswaldo Alvarez

  • Justin DeJong

  • Manuel Hernández

  • Channyn Lynne Parker

  • Victor Ravago

Show your support

In a race already flooded with hundreds of thousands of dollars from insider campaign accounts, it will take all of us pulling together to build a grassroots campaign.

Your support will help ensure a community voice gets a real shot — instead of politics as usual running Cook County.

Join us in your neighborhood

We are hitting the streets to talk to and hear from our neighbors about their priorities for Cook County.

Sign up to volunteer with #TeamCheChe.