Michael Cabonargi

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.

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 argued that existing ethics protocols were sufficient.

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

During the campaign, all three of Cabonargi's opponents (Richard Boykin, Iris Martinez, and Jabob Meister) accused him of "pay to play". Cabonargi denied any wrongdoing. Jacob Meister further accused him of using his position on the Cook County Board of Review to help generate income for companies his wife worked at. Meister also alleged that he had violated the Cook County ethics ordinance on numerous occasions and had established a "backdoor entity" to get around donation limits. Meiseter filed an ethics complaint against Cabonargi in mid-January 2020 alleging that Cabonargi had accepted $120,000 in improper campaign donations from individuals who had argued property tax appeals before him at the Cook County Board of Review. Cabonargi's campaign claimed the allegations in the ethics complaint were false.

Ahead of the 2020 United States presidential election, Cabonargi, with Chicago government affairs consultant Mike Alexander, organized for more than 120 lawyers and other legal professions to travel to the swing state of Michigan, with the goal of helping to assist in enabling a potential victory for the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the state's vote.

Cabonargi served as a 2020 Democratic United States Electoral College elector from Illinois, casting his votes for Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president.

In 2019, Cabornargi sought more staff for his district.

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.

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.

In 2018, Cabonargi was elected as the Illinois Democratic state central committeeman for Illinois's 9th congressional district. Per the Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson, as of 2021, Cabonargi was one of the more politically progressive members of the Illinois Democratic State Central Committee.

Cabonargi is married to Erin Lavin Cabonargi and has two sons. His wife, Erin, once served as head of Chicago's Public Building Commission. She more recently served as director of construction at Sterling Bay, before leaving to start Hibernian Advisors and Hibernian Real Estate Development in 2018, a consulting firm and a development firm.

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

Cabornargi was a delegate to both the 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.

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

Cabonargi was appointed by Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Cook County Timothy C. Evans to serve as commissioner of Cook County Board of Review from the 2nd district, after the position was vacated by Joseph Berrios, who had been elected Cook County Assessor. Cabonargi had been selected over several more prominent figures that had expressed interest in the position, including Joseph Mario Moreno and Eugene Schulter. Evans had picked Cabornargi from among 11 candidates. Cabonargi was sworn-in on February 10, 2011.

In 2011, Cabonargi lived in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Cabonargi now lives in Wilmette.

Cabonargi served on the local school council of the Brentano Elementary School from 2006 to 2008. From 2007 to 2009, he served on the 35th Ward's Zoning Advisory Committee. Cabonargi also formerly served as a member of the University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Board.

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.

From 2005 until 2011, Cabonargi worked as a senior attorney and prosecutor in the Division of Enforcement at the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He brought a $2.8 billion private offering fraud case, at the time the largest private offering fraud case filed by the Commission. For this he was bestowed the Chairman's Award. In 2008, for his work against financial fraud targeting seniors, he was bestowed the SEC Director's Award for Excellence.

From 2003 to 2005, he served on the Illinois Comptroller's Ethics Commission.

Cabonorgi worked as a lawyer. From 2002 to 2004, he worked at the law firm of Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP, where he concentrated on complex commercial litigation. During his time at this firm, he defended the City of Chicago in both federal and state litigation deriving from the closure of Meigs Field. From 2004 to 2005, he worked at the law firm of Bell, Boyd, and Lloyd, LLC, where he concentrated on complex commercial and regulatory litigation. While working here, he was also appointed Special Assistant Cook County State's Attorney, defending the Cook County Sheriff's Department against claims of police misconduct.

In 2000, Cabonorgi received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law with honors.

In 2000, Cabonargi received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law with honors.

From 2000 to 2002, Cabonargi worked as a law clerk to U.S. District Court judge William J. Hibbler. During his time in this position, he initiated and helped to establish the courts first help desk for pro se litigants. For this, he was given the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service from the Federal Bar Association and the U.S. District Court.

In 1993, Cabonargi graduated from Miami University with Bachelor of Arts in both political science and foreign affairs.

From 1993 to 1997, Cabonargi worked as a staff assistant and economic development advisor in the Chicago office of U.S. senator Paul Simon. In 1997, Cabonargi worked as a staff assistant in the Chicago office of U.S. senator Dick Durbin.

Cabonargi graduated from Loyola Academy high school in 1989.

Michael M. Cabonargi (born January 29, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer currently serving as a commissioner of Cook County Board of Review from the 2nd district since 2011. Since 2019, he has also served as a vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.