Michael Cabonargi

Michael M. Cabonargi (born January 29, 1971) is an American politician and attorney who has served as a judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2025. He formerly held the offices of commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review from the 2nd district (2011–2022), vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois (2019–2023), and Region 5 of the Department of Health and Human Services (2023–2025).

In his early career, Cabonargi worked on the staffs of Illinois U.S. senators Paul Simon and Dick Durbin. He then worked as a law clerk to U.S. District Court judge William J. Hibbler. Thereafter, he entered the private sector, working as a lawyer concentrating in complex commercial and regulatory litigation.

From 2005, until being appointed to serve on the Cook County Board of Review in 2011, Cabonargi worked as senior attorney and prosecutor at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cabonargi also held leadership roles within the Democratic Party of Illinois, and served as a 2020 presidential elector. In 2020, he unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court.

Early life and career Cabonargi was born January 29, 1971.

Cabonargi graduated from Loyola Academy high school in 1989. Cabonargi had been selected over several other people who had also expressed interest in the position, including Joseph Mario Moreno and Eugene Schulter.

Cabonargi was reelected, unopposed, in 2012, 2016, and 2018.

In March 2018, Cabonargi's campaign was asked by the Board of Ethics to return $68,950 in funds received from 97 contributions that were in excess of limits. Cabonargi complied with the Board of Ethics ruling and returned the $68,950 in donations and cited the multiple changes in county reporting measures.

In 2020, Cabonargi voiced disagreement with a notion expressed by former Cook County clerk David Orr that the Cook County Board of Review has a "longtime pay-to-play culture" and needed reform. Cabonargi said "the Board of Review has ethics protocols in place to ensure transparency and professionalism..."

In 2022, Cabonargi lost his bid for reelection to the Cook County Board of Review. His loss to political newcomer Samantha Steele was considered an upset to the incumbent Cabonargi. His tenure on the Board of Review ended on December 5, 2022.

2020 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County campaign

In 2020, Cabonargi ran to replace outgoing Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Dorothy A. Brown.

Cabonargi received the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party. He also was endorsed by the Chicago Federation of Labor and Chicago Sun-Times. He additionally received endorsements from Dick Durbin, Toni Preckwinkle, and Jesse White.

Cabonargi pledged, if elected, to modernize the office. Cabonargi's campaign claimed the allegations in the ethics complaint were false.

In 2019, Cabonargi was appointed a vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. In 2021, Cabonargi supported Robin Kelly in her successful bid to become the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

On January 27, 2023, Cabornargi departed his role as a state central committeeman in the Illinois' Democratic State Central Committee in order to accept the position of regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services (2023–2025)

In early 2023, Cabornargi sent an email to colleagues within the Democratic Party to inform them that he would be departing his role in Illinois' State Democratic Central Committee in order to accept an appointment by President Joe Biden to serve as a regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services.

County judge (2025–present) In June 2025, Justice Joy V. Cunningham announced that the Illinois Supreme Court would appoint Cabornargi as an at-large judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County effective June 13. His appointment to the court filled a vacancy create by the retirement of Judge Ellen Coglan. Cabornargi's appointed term will expire December 7, 2026. Cabonargi was assigned to hear traffic court cases. Cabonargi was included on the slate of candidates endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party. In February, the organization Injustice Watch published a profile which flagged ethics concerns about campaign donations Cabonargi and his fellow Board of Review commissioners had accepted in 2017 and 2018 from real estate professionals with business before the board. Cabonargi was ultimately defeated by Rice in the primary.

Other work Cabonargi served on the local school council of the Brentano Elementary School from 2006 to 2008.

In 2012, Cabonargi was selected to be a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago.

Between January and June 2025, Cabonargi served as the Democratic Party counsel to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. In this role, he researched the backgrounds of various nominees put forward by Donald Trump for his second presidency ahead of their Senate conformation hearings, including Kash Patel his nomination for FBI director was still pending. His wife previously served as head of Chicago's Public Building Commission. She more recently served as director of construction at Sterling Bay, before leaving in 2018 to start Hibernian Advisors and Hibernian Real Estate Development, a consulting firm and a development firm.

As of 2011, Cabonargi lived in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.

Electoral history Cook County Board of Review 2012

2016

2018

2022

Illinois Democratic State Central Committeeman for the ninth congressional district

Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County