>> IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HOTLY CONTESTED RACES IN NEXT WEEK'S PRIMARY.

2 DEMOCRATS ARE BATTLING IT OUT TO BECOME COOK COUNTY'S TOP PROSECUTOR TO TAKE OVER FOR THE OUTGOING STATE'S ATTORNEY KIM FOXX.

THE ATTACK ADS ARE FLYING.

THE MONEY IS FLOWING IN AND THE CANDIDATES ARE ATTEMPTING TO PAINT A STARK DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH OTHER.

HERE'S PAIR SHOTS WITH THE STORY.

>> IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY AND HOME TO MORE THAN 3,000 EMPLOYEES, OUTGOING COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY KIM FOXX TENURE HAS BEEN MARKED BY A SOFTER APPROACH TO LOW LEVEL CRIME AND HER CONTROVERSIAL HANDLING OF THE JUSSIE SMOLLET CASE.

BUT THE 2 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES TO REPLACE HER HAVE TAKEN A HARD TACK AGAINST EACH OTHER.

EILEEN O'NEILL BERG, A FORMER PROSECUTOR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND TRIAL AND APPELLATE COURT JUDGE.

HE'S OUTRAISED HER OPPONENT, CLAYTON HARRIS, BY MORE THAN DOUBLE WITH SOME BIG DOLLARS COMING FROM REPUBLICAN DONORS.

HARRIS, A FORMER AIDE TO FORMER GOVERNOR RON BLAGOJEVICH, HEAD OF THE ILLINOIS INTERNATIONAL PORT DISTRICT.

AND LOBBYIST IS A CHOICE OF THE COOK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND CHAIR TONI PRECKWINKLE WHO HAS CAMPAIGNED ON HIS BEHALF.

HE'S RECEIVED BIG DOLLAR DONATIONS FROM PROMINENT DEMOCRATIC DONORS, INCLUDING THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.

HE SAYS THE MONEY TRAIL PAINTS A LARGE CONTRAST FROM VERY EXTREME RIGHT >> FUNDS.

AND AND THAT'S WHAT'S TROUBLING.

MISSION TROUBLE, EVERYONE, BECAUSE THIS THIS PORT HEADS AND HIGHLIGHTS EXTREMISM OF MAYA OF MY OPPONENT.

BUT O'NEILL BERG SAYS HARRIS WORKED AGAINST UNIONS AS A GOVERNMENT LOBBYIST FOR LYFT.

>> AND LACKS THE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY TO DO THE JOB.

AND EVERY DAY I'M HEARING THE SAME THING.

>> THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID AND THEY'RE AFRAID TO COME DOWNTOWN.

THEY'RE AFRAID TO RIDE THE CTA.

AFRAID TO GO OUT AT NIGHT.

THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING ME.

>> BOTH O'NEILL BURKE AND HARRIS SAY THEY SUPPORT THE NO CASH BAIL PROVISION OF THE STATE'S NEWLY ENACTED SAFETY ACT, WHICH ONLY 6 PRETRIAL DETENTION FOR THE MOST VIOLENT OFFENDERS.

>> IF YOU'RE NOT A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE DETAINED.

PRE-TRIAL.

WHEN WILL WE ASKED FOR DETENTION HONOR MY STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ANYTIME SOMEBODY IS THREATENING SOMEBODY WITH A GUN ANYTIME SOMEBODY IS COMMITTING A VIOLENT CRIME ON THE CTA AND ANYTIME SOMEBODY IS.

>> CAUGHT WITH AN ASSAULT WEAPON, ANY CRIMES COMMITTED WITH A GUN.

WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY PROSECUTING AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT A CERTAINTY IN THE PROSECUTION THAT COMES WITH ANY CRIME THAT'S COMMITTED.

THE 2 DIFFER, HOWEVER, ON THEIR APPROACH TO SOME OF THE SO-CALLED LOWER-LEVEL CRIMES LIKE RETAIL THEFT, HARRIS SAYS HE CONTINUE KIM FOXX POLICY OF ONLY CHARGING FELONIES TO OFFENDERS WHO STEAL MORE THAN $1000 IN GOODS.

>> OR HAVE A LONG RAP SHEET OF SHOPLIFTING.

>> AGAIN, FOR ME AND MY ADMINISTRATION, $1000 IS THE THRESHOLD FOR A FELONY.

BUT BELOW THAT, WE'RE STILL HOLDING EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE AND WE CAN DO THAT WITH MISDEMEANOR O'NEILL.

BURKE SAYS SHE'D STICK TO STATE LAW CHARGING FELONIES TO OFFENDERS WHO STEAL MORE THAN $300 IN GOODS.

YOU CAN CLEAR OUT SEVERAL AISLES OF A MOM AND POP GROCERY STORE OR SEVERAL AISLES OF THE WALGREENS.

BEFORE YOU GET TO $1000.

>> THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS POLICY OR THAT.

WALGREENS.

CVS WALMART.

TARGET MOM AND POP GROCERY STORES ARE CLOSING.

THEY'RE CLOSING ALL OVER THE CITY BECAUSE OF THEFT, SOMETIMES IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.

THE MOST RECENT ATTACK AD FROM HARRIS HIGHLIGHTS REPORTING THAT SHOWS O'NEILL BURKE WORKED AS A PROSECUTOR IN 1993 TO CONVICT A YOUNG BLACK BOY FOR MURDER.

>> IN 2002, A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THAT THE ARREST WAS ILLEGAL AND THE CONFESSION WAS COERCED BY THE QUESTIONING.

OFFICER AND THAT THE CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT.

SHE SHOULD LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE IN FRONT OF HER.

>> AND REALIZED THAT IN MORE MOVING FORWARD ON THE PROSECUTION, AT LEAST NOT AT THAT POINT IN TIME AT BEST, IT'S BAD JUDGMENT.

AND THE FACT EVEN TODAY THAT SHE DOUBLED DOWN ON IT, THERE'S NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT IS THE PART THAT'S ALSO SCARY.

I PROSECUTED, YOU 30 YEARS AGO WHO CONFESSED TO THE BRUTAL MURDER OF HIS ELDERLY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.

>> HIS ATTORNEY MADE THE DECISION TO PUT HIM ON THE STAND WHERE HE REPEATED THE CONFESSION.

NEITHER THE JUVENILE, HIS MOTHER OR HIS ATTORNEY EVER ALLEGED THAT THERE WAS ANY COERCION IN THAT CONFESSION.

>> ALSO RUNNING FOR COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY ARE FORMER CHICAGO ALDERMAN BOB FIORETTI AS A REPUBLICAN AND ANDREW CHARLES KOCH PENSKE AS A LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE PARIS.

YOU KNOW, THE RECENT POLL HAS THIS RACE NECK-AND-NECK.

HOW WOULD YOU SIZE WELL, ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS, IT JUST DEPENDS ON TURNOUT.

WHAT WHAT DO WE KNOW?

IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY BE A LOW TURNOUT ELECTION THAT TENDS TO FAVOR THE PERSON THAT HAS THE APPARATUS BEHIND THE CAN GET OUT THE VOTE IN THIS CASE.

MISTER HARRIS HAS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

TONI PRECKWINKLE, THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.

THAT'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT CAN KNOCK ON DOORS THAT CAN DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE POLLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO HE WOULD TEND TO BE FAVORED IN THAT REGARD.

ALTHOUGH IF TURNOUT FAVORS FOLKS THAT WANT TO MORE QUOTE, UNQUOTE, LAW AND ORDER A TYPE OF CANDIDATE IN THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AND THAT WOULD FAVOR AYE EILEEN O'NEILL BURKE.

SO AGAIN, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO WHO TURNS OUT.

BUT WE DO KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE LOW TURNOUT.

SHE'S ALSO RAISED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY SHE'S RAISED MORE THAN 2 TIMES