Scott Cisek, who has led Alderman Toni Preckwinkle's campaign for Cook County board president, announced yesterday he is leaving the campaign to become political director for the Cook County Democratic Party.
He told the Current Preckwinkle suggested he take the job.
"She said we're in a strong position and some of the ticket is not in a strong position," he said. "She asked me if I would do it ... and I said I would do whatever she would want me to do."
Cisek said his former deputy, John Keller, would replace him.
"I think that I have an opportunity to help a lot of the Democrats up and down the ticket," Cisek said.
He said his experience on the Preckwinkle campaign will help him in his new position.
"I think I have a better sense of the workings of Cook County. I think I have some unique experieces working with the Cook County board president race that I'll use to help out the Democrats, all the way from the top of the ticket to the judts. If we had a dog catcher, I'd be helpin him."
Cisek, 34, has worked on numerous campaigns, including state Sen. Michael Bond's 2006 run. He started with Preckwinkle's campaign last June. He helped organize her successful campaign to win the Democratic nomination. She now faces Republican candidate Roger Keats and Green Party candidate Tom Tresser.
Cisek wrote a blog post noting the fragile state of some Democratic seats, hoping for a unified effort from the party in November.
"I am afraid a perfect storm is brewing which could result in the Democratic loss of the Governor's mansion, Barack Obama's Senate Seat, possibly even the electoral map," he wrote. "I truly fear what will happen to the Democrats in Illinois if we head into November with a divided Cook County Democratic Party."
He told the Current he worries voter apathy and frustration might hurt Democrats in the fall.
"The biggest fear I have is that Democrats and other voters who would vote Democrat stay home," he said. "This is the kind of environment where, depnding on how the campaign goes, it turns negative as it has in the past. It's really discouraging to voters."
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool's candidacy underscored those fears earlier this week, when the Democrat announced he would challenge Board of Review Commissioner and party chairman Joseph Berrios for assessor — as an independent.
Berrios said Tuesday he worries Claypool's candidacy could divide the party; Claypool says independent Democrats will vote for him.
Preckwinkle re-nominated Berrios for the party chairmanship earlier this year.
Cisek said he also worries about the campaign of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, whose campaign will look to slam state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for his family's bank's dealings.