2020_Illinois_judicial_elections
2020 Illinois judicial elections
American election
The 2020 Illinois judicial elections consisted of both partisan and retention elections, including those for three seats on the Supreme Court of Illinois and 10 seats in the Illinois Appellate Court.[1][2] Primary elections were held on March 17, 2020, and the general election was held on November 3, 2020. These elections were part of the 2020 Illinois elections.
Justices of the Supreme Court of Illinois are elected by district. Two seats will be holding partisan elections, while another will be holding a retention election. On the Supreme Court of Illinois, seats occupied by previously-elected justices will see retention elections, while races with justices not previously elected (whether the seat is vacant or filled by an appointee) will see competitive partisan elections.
The court has seven seats total separated into five districts. The first district, representing Cook County, contains three seats, making it a multi-member district, while other four districts are single-member districts.[3] Justices hold ten year terms.[3]
1st district
One of the three seats from the 1st district is up for a partisan election. Incumbent P. Scott Neville Jr. was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Charles E. Freeman. This is a regularly-scheduled election (Freeman's term would have ended in December 2020).
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | P. Scott Neville Jr. (incumbent) | 214,066 | 26.25 | |
| Democratic | Jesse G. Reyes | 165,344 | 20.27 | |
| Democratic | Shelly A. Harris | 123,166 | 15.10 | |
| Democratic | Cynthia Y. Cobbs | 103,497 | 12.69 | |
| Democratic | Margaret Stanton McBride | 101,475 | 12.44 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Epstein | 66,762 | 8.19 | |
| Democratic | Nathaniel R. Howse | 41,205 | 5.05 | |
| Total votes | 815,515 | |||
Republican primary
No candidates were included on the ballot in the Republican primary. While an official write-in candidate did run, he did not receive a sufficient number of votes to win nomination.
- Results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | P. Scott Neville Jr. (incumbent) | 1,765,329 | 100 | |
| Write-in | Richard Mayers | 31 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 1,765,360 | 100 | ||
5th district
Lloyd Karmeier, a Republican, retired on December 6, 2019, leaving the seat vacant until the election. This is a regularly-scheduled election (Karmeier's term would have ended in December 2020). Three members of the Illinois Appellate Court from the 5th district chose to run; John B. Barberis, Jr, Judy Cates, and David K. Overstreet.[6]
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Judy Cates | 85,117 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 85,117 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David K. Overstreet | 77,438 | 76.51 | |
| Republican | John B. Barberis Jr. | 23,777 | 23.49 | |
| Total votes | 101,215 | |||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David K. Overstreet | 388,129 | 62.52 | |
| Democratic | Judy Cates | 232,722 | 37.48 | |
| Total votes | 620,851 | 100 | ||
Retention elections
The 3rd district seat was held by Thomas L. Kilbride, a Democrat first elected to the Supreme Court in 2000.
In the 2nd district, Robert R. Thomas, a Republican, was scheduled to have retention election. However, he retired February 29, 2020. On March 1, 2020, Michael J. Burke assumed his seat, and will hold it until a special election in 2022.[1][7]
To be retained, judges are required to have 60% of their vote be "yes". Kilbride did not reach that mark and only receiving approximately 57% of the vote. He is the first justice of the Illinois Supreme Court to lose retention vote in the history of the state.[8][9]
| District | Incumbent | Vote[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Name | In office since | Previous years elected/retained | Yes (Retain) |
No (Remove) | ||
| 3rd | Democratic | Thomas L. Kilbride | December 4, 2000 | 2000 (elected), 2010 (retained) | 452,142 (56.52%) | 347,812 (43.48%) | |
Illinois Appellate Court justices hold ten-year terms.[3]
1st district (1st division)
Incumbent John C. Griffin was appointed in May 2018 following the retirement of John B. Simon.[10] This is a special election for a four-year term, as Simon's term would not have ended until 2024.[10] Griffin ran for reelection, but was unseated in the Democratic primary by Sharon Oden-Johnson.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sharon Oden-Johnson | 395,022 | 52.44 | |
| Democratic | John C. Griffin (incumbent) | 358,226 | 47.56 | |
| Total votes | 753,248 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
The Republican primary was cancelled.[2] No candidates had filed.
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sharon O. Johnson | 1,603,179 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 1,603,179 | 100 | ||
1st district (3rd division)
Incumbent Michael Hyman was appointed in 2018 to fill the vacancy left when P. Scott Neville Jr. resigned this seat to assume a seat on the Supreme Court of Illinois. He was elected outright.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael B. Hyman (incumbent) | 273,898 | 35.51 | |
| Democratic | Sandra Gisela Ramos | 207,989 | 26.96 | |
| Democratic | Maureen Patricia O'Leary | 159,423 | 20.67 | |
| Democratic | Carolyn Gallagher | 130,067 | 16.86 | |
| Total votes | 771,377 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
No candidates were included on the ballot in the Republican primary. While an official write-in candidate did run, he did not receive a sufficient number of votes to win nomination.
- Results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael Hyman (incumbent) | 1,633,319 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 1,633,319 | 100 | ||
5th district
Incumbent Mark M. Boie was appointed on May 1, 2019.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sarah Smith | 84,509 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 84,509 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark M. Boie (incumbent) | 52,619 | 54.4 | |
| Republican | Katherine Ruocco | 44,011 | 45.55 | |
| Total votes | 96,630 | |||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark M. Boie (incumbent) | 367,036 | 59.86% | |
| Democratic | Sarah Smith | 246,166 | 40.14% | |
| Total votes | 613,202 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Retention elections
To be retained, judges are required to have 60% of their vote be "yes".
| District | Incumbent | Vote | Cite | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Name | In office since | Previous years elected/retained | Yes (Retain) |
No (Remove) | |||
| 1st | Democratic | Aurelia Marie Pucinski | December 6, 2010 | 2010 (elected) | 1,406,831 (77.37%) | 411,550 (22.63%) | [5][11][12][13][14] | |
| Democratic | Mary Katherine Rochford | December 6, 2010 | 2010 (elected) | 1,276,378 (75.40)% | 416,477 (24.60)% | [5][12][13][15][16] | ||
| 2nd | Republican | Ann B. Jorgensen | July 2008 | 2010 (elected) | 1,090,351 (80.97%) | 256,183 (19.03%) | [5][12][13][17][18] | |
| Republican | Mary S. Schostok | August 2008 | 2010 (elected) | 1,061,303 (80.01%) | 265,164 (19.99%) | [5][12][13][19][20] | ||
| 3rd | Democratic | Mary McDade | December 4, 2000 | 2000 (elected), 2010 (retained) | 580,382 (76.10%) | 182,318 (23.90%) | [5][21][22] | |
| 5th | Republican | Thomas M. Welch | December 1, 1980 | 1980 (elected), 1990, 2000, 2010 (retained) | 416,928 (75.37%) | 136,244 (24.63%) | [5][24][25] | |
Lower courts also saw judicial elections.
- "Illinois Supreme Court elections, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- "Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- "Illinois Constitution - Article VI". www.ilga.gov. Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Election Results 2020 GENERAL PRIMARY". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- "Official Canvass General Election November 3, 2020" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- White, Jesse (ed.). "Appellate Court Judges". Illinois Blue Book 2019-2020 (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Eggert, Timmothy (February 28, 2020). "Illinois Supreme Court's history picking of its own replacements". Chicago Law Bulletin. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- Tabor, Joe (November 4, 2020). "KILBRIDE IS FIRST ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TO LOSE RETENTION VOTE". Illinois Policy. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- Mansur, Sarah (November 4, 2020). "Failed retention is first ever in Illinois Supreme Court's history; Overstreet wins Karmeier seat". The Southern. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- Thomas, David (April 18, 2018). "Griffin to fill retiring Simon's seat on 1st District Appellate Court". Chicago Law Bulletin. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Aurelia Pucinski". www.illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Courts. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Election Results 2010 GENERAL PRIMARY". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Election Results 2010 GENERAL ELECTION". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Appellate Court: 1st District (Retain Aurelia Pucinski)". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- "Mary K. Rochford". www.illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Courts. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Appellate Court: 1st District (Retain Mary Katherine Rochford)". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- "Ann B. Jorgensen". illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Courts. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Ann B. Jorgensen". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Mary Seminara-Schostok". www.illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Courts. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Mary Seminara-Schostok". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Election Results 2000 GENERAL PRIMARY". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Election Results 2000 GENERAL ELECTION". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Mary McDade". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Thomas M. Welch". www.illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Courts. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- Tybor, Joseph R. (October 26, 1988). "GOP CANDIDATE FOR HIGH COURT TAKES HIS OWN TRAIL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2020.