Ricardo Munoz to take on Dorothy Brown in Dem primary; Anita Alvarez unopposed

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Ricardo Munoz and Dorothy Brown

Updated: January 7, 2012 8:16AM

Incumbent Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, a Democrat, will face a challenger in the March primary with Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) officially throwing his hat in the ring Monday.

Brown filed her petitions last week and on Monday — the deadline from Chicago to Springfield for filing candidate petitions to qualify for the March 20 primary — Munoz brought in petitions with 33,112 signatures, according to his campaign.

“This is an exciting day,” Munoz said in a statement. “I’m a lifelong reformer. My career has been about cleaning up government.”

Michael Madigan, Democratic speaker of the House and a representative of the city’s 22nd District on the Southwest Side, is now in a four-way contest, according to the state board of elections.

Michele Piszczor, 25, Hispanic and a Chicago native, said in a press release that she’s seeking to unseat the incumbent: “Mr. Madigan was elected 41 years ago. The 22nd district is way overdue for a change in proper representation. The district is increasingly diverse, with predominately a Hispanic population, and needs a fresh face to properly represent the people here.”

Olivia Trejo and Mike Rodriguez, neighbors living in the 3800 block of West 68th Street, are also seeking the Democratic nod. Neither could be reached for comment. And Robert Handzik is running as a Republican in that race.