PRIVATE MAJOR DONOR BRIEFING
A Practical Path to Victory
Cook County Board•District 12
A confidential campaign briefing for select supporters considering a significant investment in Alice Hu’s campaign.
Why this race matters
This is an open-seat opportunity to bring practical accountability, fiscal discipline, and independent leadership to Cook County Government.
01
Executive Brief
Alice Hu's path to victory is not a traditional Republican path—it is an reform path. District 12 is heavily Democratic, but it is also home to homeowners, small business owners, independent voters, and tax-weary Democrats looking for competent, accountable leadership.
Alice offers a clear alternative: a 20+ year District 12 resident, global supply chain executive, and small business owner who has managed complex operations, negotiated major contracts, and delivered measurable results.
Cook County is a $10 billion enterprise. The central question is straightforward: Should it be overseen by another career politician—or by someone with a proven record of managing budgets, performance, and accountability?
This campaign wins by making the race local, practical, and personal: fair property taxes, safer neighborhoods, transparent spending, stronger small businesses, and a commissioner who answers to residents instead of political insiders.
02
The Path to 50,000 Votes
Alice's 2022 campaign demonstrated that there is a meaningful opportunity in District 12. Entering the race just eight weeks before Election Day after being slated as the Republican nominee, she received 18,571 votes (18.8%) against a well-known incumbent, Bridget Degnen, while knocking on more than 3,000 doors and building the foundation of a grassroots campaign.
The 2026 race presents a fundamentally different landscape. This is an open seat, and the Democratic nominee is a longtime career government official rather than a popular incumbent. Our analysis indicates that approximately 50,000 votes is a realistic winning target. Alice begins with a strong Republican base but victory depends on assembling a broader coalition of homeowners concerned about property taxes, independent voters, small business owners, Asian American voters, and pragmatic Democrats looking for accountable, results-oriented leadership. The table below outlines where those votes can come from and how the campaign intends to prioritize outreach.
Bottom Line
Alice does not need to persuade a majority of Democratic voters. Victory comes from maximizing Republican turnout while assembling a targeted crossover coalition of homeowners, independents, small business owners, Asian American voters, and pragmatic Democrats focused on competence over party.
03
Why Alice is Different
Built in the private sector.
Alice spent her career leading global supply chains, negotiating complex contracts, managing complex, global budgets and holding vendors accountable.
She has solved the kinds of operational and financial problems Cook County faces every day—not just studied or debated them.
Answers to voters - not political insiders.
Her opponent has spent a career inside city and county government. Alice built hers in the private sector, where performance—not politics—determines success.
She will bring independent oversight, fiscal discipline, and measurable accountability to County government.
Experience that translates.
MBA. Global executive. Small business owner. Twenty-plus year District 12 resident. Alice understands budgets, operations, negotiations, and leadership because she has lived them.
She isn't running to learn government—she's running to improve it.
04
Campaign Strategy
This is a County Board race. Alice is the strong candidate. Her opponent is weak. With the right resources, we will reach more voters, share our message, and win.
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Target our voters. Every one of our voters should know who Alice is and why she is different before they cast a ballot.
Key Focus:
Targeted direct mail and digital advertising
Local earned media and community outreach
Yard signs, literature, and neighborhood visibility
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Direct voter contact is the most effective way to earn trust and persuade.
Key Focus:
Door-to-door voter contact
Phone, text and digital outreach
Data-driven targeting and follow-up
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Volunteers extend our reach, build momentum, and create community support throughout the district.
Key Focus:
Neighborhood events and community outreach
Recruit precinct leaders and neighborhood volunteers
Build a strong GOTV operation
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Bank votes early and reduce election day uncertainty.
Key Focus:
Promote vote-by-mail and early voting
Provide information and reminders
Make it easy to vote early
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The final objective. Turn out our supporters and persuadable voters to win this County Board race.
Key Focus:
Get Out The Vote operation
Polling place visibility
“I voted for Alice!” interactive text program
Simple Plan. Strong Candidate. Real Opportunity.
The fundamentals of this race are already in place: an open seat, a compelling candidate, and a clear contrast. Our responsibility is simple—outwork, out-organize, and out-communicate the opposition every day until Election Day.
Campaigns that execute win. We intend to be one of them.
05
Priority Issues
01 Property Tax Relief
Fight for fair, transparent assessments; oppose new county tax burdens; force budget discipline before asking residents for more.
02 Fiscal Accountability
End wasteful spending and hold the Cook County Board accountable to taxpayers, not insider special interests.
03 Public Safety
Support law enforcement while also investing in prevention and demanding results from county criminal justice policy.
04 Small Business Support
Cut red tape and reduce burdens on the entrepreneurs who drive District 12’s local economy.
05 Government Reform
Bring private-sector efficiency, modern procurement, performance tracking, and transparency to county operations.
06 District 12 Investment
Make sure District 12 receives its fair share of county resources and has a commissioner who fights for the district every day.
06
A Clear Choice for District 12
Two very different backgrounds.
Two very different ideas of leadership.
Leadership
Experience
Accountability
Perspective
Priorities
Vision
Alice Hu
Global business executive. Successful small business owner.
Private-sector executive.
Budgets. Results. Performance.
Elizabeth Granato
Career political staffer and political appointee.
Public-sector administrator.
Government inertia.
Independent thinker. Independent voice.
Institutional insider.
Reform through fiscal discipline and operational excellence.
Supporting the Cook County Board President
Expect more. Demand better.
Maintaining the status quo.
07
Your Investment Changes the Outcome
Every additional dollar produces measurable impact.
“Alice is the kind of leader who solves problems instead of talking about them.”