Illinois Second District Appellate Court

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Illinois Appellate
Court Districts
Illinois Second District Appellate CourtIllinois First District Appellate CourtIllinois Third District Appellate CourtIllinois Fourth District Appellate CourtIllinois Fifth District Appellate CourtIllinois Judicial District Map 2022.png

The Illinois Second District Appellate Court is one of five districts of the Illinois Appellate Court. It encompasses the northern counties in Illinois, including some of the most populated areas in the state. The Second District court meets in Elgin, Illinois[1]

The Second District Appellate Court includes the following counties: DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and McHenry.[2]

  • Published opinions of the Illinois Appellate Court can be found here.
 
Illinois Second District Appellate Court
Intermediate Appellate Courts Seal-template.png
Court information
Judges:   9
Founded:   1877[3]
Salary:  Associates: $268,190[4]
Judicial selection
Method:   Partisan election of judges
Term:   10 years

Judges

Judge Tenure Appointed By

Susan Hutchinson

December 5, 1994 - Present

Elected

Robert McLaren

December 5, 1988 - Present

Elected

Joseph Birkett

2010 - Present

Elected

Chris Kennedy

December 5, 2022 - Present

Elected

Ann B. Jorgensen

2008 - Present

Elected

Mary Seminara-Schostok

2008 - Present

Elected

Margaret J. Mullen

May 11, 2023 - Present

Illinois Supreme Court


Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Illinois

Judges on the appellate court are chosen by popular vote in partisan elections and serve 10-year terms, after which they must compete in uncontested, nonpartisan retention elections to remain on the court.[5]

Qualifications

To serve on the appellate court, a judge must be:

  • a U.S. citizen;
  • a district resident; and
  • licensed to practice law in Illinois.[5]

Presiding judge

The judges of each division select a presiding judge by peer vote to serve a one-year term.[5]

Vacancies

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the Illinois Supreme Court is responsible for appointing an interim judge. If a judge is appointed more than 60 days before the next primary election, the judge must run in a partisan election in the next general or judicial election to remain on the court. The appointed judge's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election. If a judge is appointed less than 60 days before the next primary election, the judge will have to run in a partisan election to remain on the court in the second general election. The appointed judge's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election.[5]

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $268,190, according to the National Center for State Courts.[6]

Elections

2024

See also: Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of 15 Illinois intermediate appellate court judges will expire on December 2, 2024. Nine seats were up for partisan election and six seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for March 19, 2024. The filing deadline was December 4, 2023.

Judges with expiring terms

This is a list of the judges who were required to stand for retention election in 2024 in order to remain on the bench. Judges could choose not to stand for election.

David Ellis
William Holdridge
Thomas Hoffman
Susan Hutchinson
Robert Steigmann

Candidates and results

1st District: Connors Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Mary L. Mikva won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Mary L. Mikva
Mary L. Mikva (D) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Mary L. Mikva advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mary L. Mikva
Mary L. Mikva Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
434,524

Total votes: 434,524
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

1st District: Cunningham Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Cynthia Cobbs won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Cynthia Cobbs
Cynthia Cobbs (D)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Cynthia Cobbs defeated Carolyn Gallagher in the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Cynthia Cobbs
Cynthia Cobbs
 
70.6
 
335,240
Image of Carolyn Gallagher
Carolyn Gallagher
 
29.4
 
139,774

Total votes: 475,014
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

1st District: Delort Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Celia Gamrath won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Celia Gamrath (D)
 
100.0
 
670,212

Total votes: 670,212
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Celia Gamrath defeated Leonard Murray in the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Celia Gamrath
 
72.3
 
338,217
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Leonard Murray
 
27.7
 
129,259

Total votes: 467,476
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

1st District: O'Neill Burke Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Carl A. Walker won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Carl A. Walker (D)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Carl A. Walker advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Carl A. Walker
 
100.0
 
419,709

Total votes: 419,709
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

3rd District: Lytton Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

John C. Anderson and Kenton Skarin ran in the general election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of John C. Anderson
John C. Anderson (D)
Image of Kenton Skarin
Kenton Skarin (R) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

John C. Anderson defeated incumbent Joseph P. Hettel in the Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John C. Anderson
John C. Anderson
 
64.3
 
68,214
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Joseph P. Hettel
 
35.7
 
37,955

Total votes: 106,169
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Kenton Skarin advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kenton Skarin
Kenton Skarin Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
92,612

Total votes: 92,612
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

3rd District: O'Brien Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Linda E. Davenport and Jason Helland ran in the general election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Linda E. Davenport
Linda E. Davenport (D) Candidate Connection
Image of Jason Helland
Jason Helland (R) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Linda E. Davenport advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Linda E. Davenport
Linda E. Davenport Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
104,138

Total votes: 104,138
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Jason Helland advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jason Helland
Jason Helland Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
92,426

Total votes: 92,426
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

3rd District: Schmidt Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Lance R. Peterson and John F. Costello Jr. ran in the general election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Lance R. Peterson advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lance R. Peterson
Lance R. Peterson Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
102,552

Total votes: 102,552
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

John F. Costello Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
John F. Costello Jr.
 
100.0
 
92,389

Total votes: 92,389
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

4th District: Holder White Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Eugene G. Doherty won election in the general election for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Eugene G. Doherty (R) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Eugene G. Doherty advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Eugene G. Doherty Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
119,401

Total votes: 119,401
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

4th District: Turner Vacancy

General election
General election for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Amy Lannerd won election in the general election for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Amy Lannerd (R)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Amy Lannerd advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 4th District Appellate Court on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Amy Lannerd
 
100.0
 
119,441

Total votes: 119,441
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Judges not on the ballot



2022

See also: Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of 12 Illinois intermediate appellate court judges expired on December 4, 2022, and one seat was up for special election. The 13 seats were up for partisan election or retention election on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 28, 2022. The filing deadline for the partisan races were March 14, 2022. The filing deadline for the seat up for special election was April 4, 2022. The filing deadline for judicial retention was May 8, 2022.

Judges with expiring terms

Candidates and results

Partisan election

1st District: Hall Vacancy

General election

General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Debra B. Walker won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Debra B. Walker (D)
 
100.0
 
1,082,856

Total votes: 1,082,856
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Debra B. Walker defeated Dominique C. Ross and Russell Hartigan in the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Debra B. Walker
 
44.8
 
204,270
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Dominique C. Ross
 
34.3
 
156,240
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Russell Hartigan
 
20.9
 
95,243

Total votes: 455,753
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

1st District: Harris Vacancy

General election

Special general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Raymond W. Mitchell won election in the special general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Raymond W. Mitchell
Raymond W. Mitchell (D) Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,039,770

Total votes: 1,039,770
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Raymond W. Mitchell defeated John H. Ehrlich and Devlin Schoop in the special Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Raymond W. Mitchell
Raymond W. Mitchell Candidate Connection
 
45.2
 
200,436
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
John H. Ehrlich
 
33.5
 
148,383
Image of Devlin Schoop
Devlin Schoop Candidate Connection
 
21.3
 
94,450

Total votes: 443,269
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2nd District: Burke Vacancy

General election

General election for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court

Chris Kennedy defeated Susan Clancy Boles in the general election for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Chris Kennedy (D)
 
52.8
 
302,525
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Susan Clancy Boles (R)
 
47.2
 
270,163

Total votes: 572,688
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court

Chris Kennedy defeated Erin Cartwright Weinstein and Mike Cortina in the Democratic primary for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Chris Kennedy
 
40.4
 
38,045
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Erin Cartwright Weinstein
 
39.5
 
37,236
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Mike Cortina
 
20.1
 
18,924

Total votes: 94,205
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court

Susan Clancy Boles advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Susan Clancy Boles
 
100.0
 
99,539

Total votes: 99,539
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

3rd District: Wright Vacancy

General election

General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Liam C. Brennan defeated Sonni Williams in the general election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Liam C. Brennan (R)
 
52.2
 
351,044
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Sonni Williams (D)
 
47.8
 
321,968

Total votes: 673,012
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Sonni Williams defeated James Murphy in the Democratic primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Sonni Williams
 
53.1
 
59,372
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
James Murphy
 
46.9
 
52,408

Total votes: 111,780
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Incumbent Liam C. Brennan advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Liam C. Brennan
 
100.0
 
120,523

Total votes: 120,523
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

5th District: Overstreet Vacancy

General election

General election for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Mike McHaney defeated Brian Roberts in the general election for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mike McHaney
Mike McHaney (R)
 
64.5
 
413,778
Image of Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts (D)
 
35.5
 
227,429

Total votes: 641,207
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Brian Roberts advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts
 
100.0
 
60,960

Total votes: 60,960
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Mike McHaney defeated incumbent Barry L. Vaughan in the Republican primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mike McHaney
Mike McHaney
 
56.6
 
94,115
Image of Barry L. Vaughan
Barry L. Vaughan Candidate Connection
 
43.4
 
72,129

Total votes: 166,244
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Retention election

1st District: Howse's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, Nathaniel R. Howse's seat

Nathaniel R. Howse was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 76.6% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
76.6
 
865,929
No
 
23.4
 
264,003
Total Votes
1,129,932

1st District: Connors' seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, Maureen Connors' seat

Maureen Connors was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 78.0% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
78.0
 
885,163
No
 
22.0
 
249,676
Total Votes
1,134,839

1st District: Smith's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, James Fitzgerald Smith's seat

James Fitzgerald Smith was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 77.2% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
77.2
 
888,618
No
 
22.8
 
262,674
Total Votes
1,151,292

1st District: Delort's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, Mathias W. Delort's seat

Mathias W. Delort was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 75.9% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
75.9
 
852,545
No
 
24.1
 
270,456
Total Votes
1,123,001

1st District: Reyes' seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, Jesse G. Reyes' seat

Jesse G. Reyes was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 78.2% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
78.2
 
885,043
No
 
21.8
 
246,755
Total Votes
1,131,798

1st District: Lavin's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court, Terrence J. Lavin's seat

Terrence J. Lavin was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 76.6% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
76.6
 
868,964
No
 
23.4
 
265,226
Total Votes
1,134,190

2nd District: Birkett's seat

Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court, Joseph Birkett's seat

Joseph Birkett was retained to the Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 73.8% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
73.8
 
694,575
No
 
26.2
 
246,927
Total Votes
941,502

3rd District: Schmidt's seat

Daniel Schmidt's retention election was canceled after he withdrew.[7]

5th District: Cates' seat

Illinois 5th District Appellate Court, Judy Cates' seat

Judy Cates was retained to the Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on November 8, 2022 with 74.8% of the vote.

Retention
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
74.8
 
440,124
No
 
25.2
 
148,536
Total Votes
588,660



2020

See also: Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Judges with expiring terms

This is a list of the justices who had to stand for retention election in 2020 in order to remain on the bench. Justices could choose not to stand for election.

Ann B. Jorgensen
Mary Seminara-Schostok


2016

Judges who faced retention

Robert B. Spence (standing for retention to his circuit court; holds appellate seat by appointment)
Kathryn Zenoff (standing for retention to her circuit court; holds appellate seat by appointment)

Election results

November 8 general election

Judges of the Illinois Circuit Court stand for retention after their first full term. To be retained, a judge must receive at least 60 percent of the vote.[8][9] Robert B. Spence was retained in the Illinois Sixteenth Circuit Court, Robert Spence Retention Election with 78.49 percent of the vote.

Illinois Sixteenth Circuit Court, Robert Spence Retention Election, 2016
Name Yes votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRobert B. Spence78.49%
Source: Illinois Board of Elections, "Elections Results, General Election 11/8/2016," accessed November 28, 2018

Judges of the Illinois Circuit Court stand for retention after their first full term. To be retained, a judge must receive at least 60 percent of the vote.[10][11] Kathryn Zenoff was retained in the Illinois Seventeenth Circuit Court, Kathryn Zenoff Retention Election with 83.84 percent of the vote.

Illinois Seventeenth Circuit Court, Kathryn Zenoff Retention Election, 2016
Name Yes votes
Green check mark transparent.pngKathryn Zenoff83.84%
Source: Illinois Board of Elections, "Elections Results, General Election 11/8/2016," accessed November 28, 2018

2014

Unopposed   Michael J. Burke (Bowman vacancy)

Retention

JudgeElection Vote
HutchinsonSusan Hutchinson80.5% ApprovedA

2012

CandidateIncumbencyPartyPredecessorPrimary VoteElection Vote
BirkettJoseph Birkett   ApprovedAYesRepublicanVacancy of John O'MalleyApprovedA100%   ApprovedA

Ethics

The Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Illinois. It consists of four canons:

  • Canon 1: "A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge's activities."
  • Canon 2: "A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently, and diligently."
  • Canon 3: "A judge shall conduct the judge's personal and extrajudicial activities to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of judicial office."
  • Canon 4: "A judge or judicial candidate shall not engage in political or campaign activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary."[12]

The full text of the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Illinois may be removed in one of two ways:


Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Illinois after the 2020 census


Illinois Appellate
Court Districts
Illinois Second District Appellate CourtIllinois First District Appellate CourtIllinois Third District Appellate CourtIllinois Fourth District Appellate CourtIllinois Fifth District Appellate CourtIllinois Judicial District Map 2022.png

New state supreme court district maps were signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) on June 4, 2021. The Illinois Supreme Court lifted a pause order on this map on Jan. 1, 2022, resulting in its full implementation. This was the first time the state updated its judicial districts map since they were first enacted in 1964.[15]

An image of the enacted state Supreme Court district map appears on the right. Click here for an interactive viewer of the enacted Supreme Court map.

State profile

Demographic data for Illinois
 IllinoisU.S.
Total population:12,839,047316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):55,5193,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:72.3%73.6%
Black/African American:14.3%12.6%
Asian:5%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:16.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:87.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:32.3%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$57,574$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.8%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Illinois

Illinois voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 11 are located in Illinois, accounting for 5.34 percent of the total pivot counties.[16]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Illinois had 11 Retained Pivot Counties, 6.08 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Illinois coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

Illinois Judicial Selection More Courts
Seal of Illinois.png
Judicialselectionlogo.png
BP logo.png
Courts in Illinois
Illinois Appellate Court
Illinois Supreme Court
Elections: 20242023202220212020201920182017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Illinois
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. Illinois Courts, "Illinois Appellate Court General Information," accessed April 30, 2024
  2. Illinois Courts, "Illinois Judicial District Map," accessed April 30, 2024
  3. Four Illinois appellate court districts were founded in 1877, but they were reorganized into five districts in 1964. See: Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court, "History of the Illinois Courts," accessed July 8, 2014
  4. The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 8, 2021
  6. National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024
  7. Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed October 18, 2022
  8. Illinois State Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluations - How it works," accessed November 19, 2019
  9. American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Illinois," archived October 2, 2014
  10. Illinois State Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluations - How it works," accessed November 19, 2019
  11. American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Illinois," archived October 2, 2014
  12. State of Illinois, "Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed July 17, 2023
  13. State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed July 17, 2023
  14. Constitution of the State of Illinois, "ARTICLE IV," accessed July 17, 2023
  15. Daily Herald, "Illinois Supreme Court lifts hold on judicial redistricting," Dec. 8, 2021
  16. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.