His sister, an accountant, previously served as city treasurer of Elmhurst and later as a member of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission; she was elected to the DuPage County Board in 2022.

Recent redistricting pitted Cronin against Ted Leverenz, an incumbent Democratic senator, in what was considered one of the "liveliest and most bitter contests" of the election season.

Within the next few years, he organized a group of around ten doctors who purchased land to construct a medical office building at Palmer Drive and Kenilworth Avenue in Elmhurst.

Further, while Cronin supported requiring a supermajority in the General Assembly to increase taxes, Kirkpatrick countered that the scheme would make it easier for a simple majority of the legislature to spend without being able to back it up with revenue.

[21] However, he opposed property tax-capping legislation sponsored by Daniels and Senate Minority Leader James Philip, claiming the bill extended or made permanent a surcharge on the state's income tax.

Cronin, already being mentioned by observers as a possible candidate for statewide office in the 1994 elections, cast the race as a choice between a suburban conservative and a "wheeler-dealer" with ties to Chicago.

His priorities as party chair included filling all vacant precinct committeeman positions and conducting performance evaluations of incumbent committeemen.

[29] In 1994, Cronin supported a bill backed by Governor Jim Edgar that would have banned assault weapons, though the measure faced strong opposition from Philip.

[30] He also sponsored a bill attempting to reverse the Illinois Supreme Court's decision in the Baby Richard case and keep children with their adoptive parents.

The bill was vetoed by Governor George Ryan, a Republican who had long opposed abortion rights, prompting condemnation by Cronin and other social conservatives.

[41] In 2002, he sponsored a bill requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to consult local communities and environmental groups on projects affecting highways.

The city council of Naperville joined the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference in opposing the legislation, citing fears that the county would be taking control over municipal amenities.

[49] In the Republican primary, he faced Senator Carole Pankau, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, and county board member Debra Olson.

[52] Shortly after taking office, Cronin appointed Robert Berlin, a veteran prosecutor and chief of criminal prosecutions in the county, to succeed Birkett as DuPage state's attorney.

[53] The appointment was regarded as Cronin's "first major decision" as board chairman, due to the perceived high profile and powerful position of the state's attorney.

Cronin, who does not vote unless there is a tie, raised concerns regarding the contract's vague terms, including its open-ended nature and lack of clear responsibilities.

[54] In April 2011, Cronin announced the formation of a committee aimed at aligning county employee benefits with those in the private sector, primarily to address rising pension costs.

This system was criticized for its lenient rules regarding salary calculations, allowing significant pay increases shortly before retirement to inflate pension benefits.

Cronin attributed this surge to recent changes in employment benefits, specifically the scaling back of time-off policies aimed at saving the county up to $28 million over two weeks.

[56] In July 2011, Cronin stepped down as chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party, prompting the executive committee to unanimously select State Representative Randy Ramey as his successor.

[57] In June 2012, Elmhurst officials received a legal opinion stating they could prohibit local leaders from serving on more than one elected board if residents supported the measure in a referendum.

[59] According to an investigation published by the Better Government Association (BGA) in 2013, Cronin's administration signed contracts with four firms connected to state legislative leaders, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, Senate President pro tempore Don Harmon, and House Minority Leader Tom Cross.

The BGA speculated that these contracts were intended to bolster a potential run for higher office in the future, along with an aggressive legislative agenda that supported Cronin's efforts to consolidate governmental agencies in DuPage.

He also lamented that CTA was getting a greater share of discretionary funds compared to the region's other transit agencies, including Metra, echoing concerns that he had previously raised in 2012.

[61] Cronin worked with State Senator Tom Cullerton and other legislators to propose bills in the General Assembly that would have granted DuPage more authority over agencies whose officers are appointed by the county board.

[66] In 2017, Senators Harmon and Chris Nybo proposed a bill that would have consolidated the two agencies and established a five-member oversight board within the clerk's office.

[79] In September 2018, Cronin joined a letter written by Curran, regarding an ongoing public health investigation of a sterilization plant in Willowbrook operated by Sterigenics International.

[80] Later that month, Cronin met with William Wehrum, assistant administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency for air and radiation, to urge increased monitoring of pollutants at the facility.

Democratic and Republican members fought over appointments and committee assignments, whether to have invocations at the beginning of board meetings, consolidation proposals, and accusations of bullying.

[87] In September, Cronin presented his proposed budget for the following fiscal year, but was later criticized by Democrats for not holding workshop meetings or sharing public feedback with the board.