Openly gay Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has decided to run for the Cook County clerk position that opened following Karen Yarbrough's death, according to Politico Illinois Playbook.

Playbook added that Morrison also wants to run for the seat in November. He worked alongside the office over the past five years, including working to expand languages from four to 12 options on suburban Cook County ballots.

Should he prevail in November, Morrison would be the first openly LGBTQ+ individual elected to a Cook County county-wide office.

Yarbrough—who died April 1 at age 73—was a constant in local politics, serving as a state lawmaker and later as the first Black person and first woman to serve as Cook County clerk, per The Chicago Sun-Times. Also, she was the treasurer of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Morrison said in a statement he emailed to Windy City Times, "I have started contacting Cook County committeepeople to gain their support for the Cook County clerk vacancy.

"In my role as Cook County commissioner for the last five and a half years, I have worked with the clerk's office on many items. I understand the role of the office, and want to continue Karen Yarbrough's great legacy. In particular, one of my main accomplishments was working with Clerk Yarbrough and Commissioner Scott Britton to expand languages from four to 12 languages on suburban Cook County ballots. I worked with the Clerk to try to keep Clerk satellite offices open and helped secure kiosks for suburban courthouses to access those services.

"If elected, I would be the first openly LGBTQ+ individual elected to one of the countywide Cook County offices. I also feel that the position should continue to be represented by someone in the suburbs, since many functions of the office serve our suburban constituents."

—Andrew Davis