Republican Richard Nolan makes push for 5th District Cook County Board seat

Dolton native Richard Nolan was once a proud Democrat, related to prominent ones, too. His cousin is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, he said. But three years ago, he defected from the party after feeling as though left-of-center politicians took Black voters for granted.

“Downtown [Chicago] gets a cold, and we get pneumonia,” he said of stark differences in how Cook County and Springfield leaders treat Chicago versus suburbs, especially if they are poor and of color. 

The county issued disaster proclamations in the face of summer storms that ravaged the Southland. It’s short of what Nolan wanted. The county should have provided $10,000 stipends, 30-day hotels stays at no cost, and wraparound services to those displaced in Hazel Crest and other hard-hit municipalities, he proposed. 

Now, he’s running for Cook County’s Board of Commissioners with eyes on the 5th District. Cook County’s 5th District spans the south suburbs and a few neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side. 

It leans heavily blue. That his battle is uphill is an understatement. But Nolan is attempting to wedge his way into the seat by propping up economic and ethical frustrations. He faces off today against sitting commissioner Kisha McCaskill.

Property taxes are a top concern for both McCaskill and Nolan. They are high, Nolan said, but offer “no representation.” Unethical behavior, “thievery,” and corruption give property tax bills a sour taste, Nolan said. If he were to pull off an upset and be elected, he would push for a circuit-breaker similar to Indiana, capping tax bill increases at no more than one percent of a home’s assessed value.

He previously served as General George S. Patton School District 133 board member and as a Riverdale trustee. Nolan unsuccessfully ran for Thornton Township Supervisor in 2025. His slate supported independent oversight of procurement practices and a forensic audit. They also wanted to expand services. 

Thornton Township, under scrutiny at the time, isn’t inherently bad as a social agency, Nolan said — “the abuse is.” That may come as a surprise for some, as it doesn’t align with the standard conservative view of less government or reining in on the social safety net. He does, however, portray himself as a checks-and-balances stalwart, and wants to ensure two four-year term limits and an independent audit of 5th District spending.

Some of Nolan’s views are socially conservative but fiscally moderate. Still, in some way, he’s more amenable than one would expect. He’s not likely to show up to a June pride parade celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, Nolan admits, but he’ll “send a pink bouquet of flowers.”

Nolan embraces “Judeo-Christian values,” he said. Like many conservatives, he does not believe in abortion and supports stringent border control. He did not, for instance, believe Cook County should have provided assistance to Venezuelan migrants who were bused to Chicago by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But when asked by the HWH whether he would still criticize Cook County government for providing shelter to migrants if Black communities were economically supported, Nolan put it plainly: “No.” He simply wants fairness, that people don’t “cut in line,” he said.

The Trump administration criticized Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois for its laws that prevent law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. The Republican-led Rauner administration spearheaded that effort in Springfield. 

But Nolan believes the county should forge a more hospitable relationship with the Trump administration. Federal attorneys from the Department of Energy admitted in court filings that grants were terminated in states that did not vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, even though he won.

Nolan is a Republican in a Democratic stronghold. So, he’s been pushing his platform in more conservative municipalities, like Merrionette Park and Crestwood. 

Whether he wins or not, Nolan wants to invest in future leadership across the Southland, with a focus on young people. He recently sponsored a women’s health and wellness event and wants to work with local creatives to create an eight-week entrepreneurship incubator through the 5th District office.

Older people should support the next generation, he said, because “leadership has to be transitional.” He continued: “Youth being ingenuity. They’re contemporary,” Nolan said,” and it’s important that we don’t hold on or stay on stage too long. Our job as senior politicians is to groom new leadership.”

Nolan drew from scripture to wax poetic about aging in politics, at a time when Congressional members are being scrutinized for their long tenures and declining health in office:

“When Moses trained Joshua and Caleb, when it came down to the transition, God told Abraham and Aaron, you will not go into the promised land. It’s Joshua and Caleb’s time. You can look over them, but you can’t go in,” Nolan said. “Prior to that […] they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Because how can Joshua and Caleb be leaders when you’re still on stage?”

“This is a Moses era, and it should be a Joshua era,” Nolan said. […] “Youth is talent — you maximize that.”