A guide to all the aldermanic candidates running in the 38th Ward race. View Full Caption DNAinfo

PORTAGE PARK — Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has endorsed non-profit executive Heather Sattler in the 38th Ward race, praising her service to the families of law enforcement officers.

"Heather Sattler believes firmly in the need to protect those who protect us," Dart said in a statement released by Sattler's campaign.

Sattler said she was gratified to have Dart's endorsement, adding that his work to combat sex trafficking and address the mental-health issues of those jailed in Cook County facilities is "near and dear to her heart."

Sattler, the chief operating officer of the 100 Club of Chicago, is one of seven candidates vying to replace retiring Ald. Tim Cullerton (38th).

The 100 Club helps the families of law enforcement officers in both the immediate aftermath of their loved one's death and for years afterward, according to the organization.

Sattler said she would work with Dart and other elected officials to "make the 38th ward a safer place to live, raise a family and start a business," adding that the ward does not get its "fair share of police patrols."

Cullerton endorsed Sattler, the daughter of his longtime chief of staff, to take the seat on the City Council that his family has controlled since 1973.

The other candidates in the race are Chicago City Council legislative aide Belinda Cadiz; Realtor Tom Caravette; retired city employee Michael Duda; Carmen Hernandez, a city water department investigator; Cook County Forest Preserve Sgt. Jerry Paszek and Ald. Nicholas Sposato (36th), a firefighter, who has been endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union.

This election will be the the first under a new City Council map that moved most of Dunning from the 36th Ward into the 38th Ward along with Portage Park, prompting Sposato to seek the 38th Ward seat.

Sposato's huge financial advantage over the other candidates in the race has only increased in the last week, with the International Association of Firefighters giving him $5,000 on Saturday, records show.

In addition, the Service Employee International Union Illinois Council PAC has spent approximately $77,000 in recent weeks to boost Sposato's campaign through independent expenditures that by law can not be coordinated with the candidate or his representatives.

Sattler gave her campaign $10,000 on Friday, records filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections show.

Duda gave his campaign $3,300 on Feb. 10, in addition to the $2,800 he contributed to his campaign in January, records show.

If no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday, the top two vote-getters will square off in a runoff on April 7.

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