José “Che-Che” Wilson

José “Che-Che” Wilson is a lifelong resident of the 12th District and a 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 as a 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 Chicago, 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. 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.