Chances are, if you live in Illinois, you know there’s an election coming up that will determine the next governor of the state. But there’s another race that could have major implications for you and you might not know much about it.
The balance of the Illinois Supreme Court will be left in voters' hands this Election Day, but not everyone will have the same names on their ballots.
Judges are elected from specific districts or circuits, not statewide, so the judges you vote for will be different based on where you live.
This year, there are two vacancies on the Illinois Supreme Court. In the Second District (which includes Lake, McHenry, DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties), the two candidates are Republican Mark Curran and Democrat Elizabeth "Liz" Rochford. In the Third District (which includes DuPage, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois, Grundy, LaSalle and Bureau counties), the candidates are Republican Michael J. Burke and Democrat Mary K. O'Brien. Justice Mary Jane Theis of the First District is also up for a retention vote.
The Illinois Supreme Court has seven total seats: three from the First District, which is Cook County alone, and one each from the four other districts across the state. After winning their first elections, Supreme Court justices serve 10-year terms and are up for retention votes to win any additional 10-year terms thereafter.
There are plenty of resources to help you decide who to vote for and who to retain, including evaluations of each judge by several local bar associations (organizations made up of attorneys).
The Illinois State Bar Association, for example, uses three different ratings for judges: not recommended, recommended, and highly recommended.
The ISBA has candidates fill out a questionnaire, and also interviews lawyers familiar with candidates. A committee then rates them based on 12 criteria, including experience, legal knowledge, integrity and diligence, among other factors.
Local
Here is what the group had to say about the candidates in the retention ballot in Cook County, as well as the two other Supreme Court races in Illinois.
NOTE: You can find additional recommendations on judges' qualifications from organizations like the Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Illinois State Bar Association, among several others, on VoteforJudges.org.
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Supreme Court 1st District
Justice Mary Jane Theis
Illinois State Bar Association – Yes for retention
You can read more on the ISBA's recommendation here, and you can see the Chicago Council of Lawyers' full list of recommendations on their website.
Supreme Court 2nd District
Judge Elizabeth Rochford
Illinois State Bar Association – Highly Recommended
Mark Curran
Illinois State Bar Association – Not Recommended
You can read the ISBA’s rationale behind their evaluations on their website.
Supreme Court 3rd District
Judge Mary K. O’Brien
Illinois State Bar Association – Recommended
Justice Michael Burke
Illinois State Bar Association – Highly Recommended
You can read the ISBA’s rationale behind their evaluations on their website.
