Illinois Appellate Court

The appellate districts in Illinois

The Illinois Appellate Court is the intermediate appellate court in Illinois. First established in 1877, it hears appeals from verdicts reached at the trial level (the circuit courts in the state), and its decisions, in turn, can be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.^[1]

Each district represents a particular geographical region. Judges are elected to the courts to renewable 10-year terms in partisan elections.^[2]

The appellate court districts review transcripts of the trial and briefs filed by interested parties and consider oral arguments from lawyers to determine if the law was correctly applied by the trial court. In addition to resolving the specific case before it, rulings by each appellate district set precedent for the circuit courts in their geographic region on the proper way to apply Illinois law.^[3]

Districts[edit]

The court is divided into five judicial districts.^[2]

Illinois First District Appellate Court
Illinois Second District Appellate Court
Illinois Third District Appellate Court
Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court
Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Illinois after the 2020 census

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.^[4]

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.

Judges[edit]

Cook County, the First District, has 24 appellate judges. The remaining 101 counties are divided into four districts that elect six judges each. Additional judges are assigned by the Supreme Court to the Appellate Court, temporarily, on a showing of need. Elgin is the seat of the Second District; Ottawa, the Third; Springfield, the Fourth; and Mount Vernon, the Fifth.^[2]^[5]

Judicial selection[edit]

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.^[6]

Qualifications[edit]

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

a U.S. citizen;
a district resident; and
licensed to practice law in Illinois.^[6]

Presiding judge[edit]

The judges of each division select a presiding judge by peer vote to serve a one-year term.^[6]

Vacancies[edit]

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.^[6]

Salary[edit]

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $268,190, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[7]

Elections[edit]

To see results of Appellate Court elections, visit the individual district pages.

For details about Illinois's judicial elections, visit the Illinois judicial elections page.

2024[edit]

See also: Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of 14 Illinois intermediate appellate court judges expired on December 2, 2024. Nine seats were up for partisan election and five 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[edit]

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[edit]

1st District: Connors Vacancy[edit]

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	%	Votes
✔		Mary L. Mikva (D)	100.0	1,505,682

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,505,682
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Mary L. Mikva	100.0	434,524

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 434,524
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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1st District: Cunningham Vacancy[edit]

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	%	Votes
✔		Cynthia Cobbs (D)	100.0	1,479,372

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,479,372
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Cynthia Cobbs	70.6	335,240
	Carolyn Gallagher	29.4	139,774

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 475,014
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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1st District: Delort Vacancy[edit]

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
✔		Celia Gamrath (D)	100.0	1,447,943

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,447,943
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Celia Gamrath	72.3	338,217
	Leonard Murray	27.7	129,259

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 467,476
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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1st District: O'Neill Burke Vacancy[edit]

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	%	Votes
✔		Carl A. Walker (D)	100.0	1,451,602

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,451,602
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Carl A. Walker	100.0	419,709

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 419,709
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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3rd District: Lytton Vacancy[edit]

General election

General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

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

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John C. Anderson (D)	51.2	462,754
	Kenton Skarin (R)	48.8	440,671

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 903,425
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	John C. Anderson	64.3	68,214
	Joseph P. Hettel	35.7	37,955

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 106,169
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Kenton Skarin	100.0	92,612

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,612
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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3rd District: O'Brien Vacancy[edit]

General election

General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

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

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Linda E. Davenport (D)	51.5	465,319
	Jason Helland (R)	48.5	437,954

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 903,273
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Linda E. Davenport	100.0	104,138

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 104,138
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Jason Helland	100.0	92,426

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,426
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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3rd District: Schmidt Vacancy[edit]

General election

General election for Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

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

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lance R. Peterson (D)	50.0	450,589
	John F. Costello Jr. (R)	50.0	450,377

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 900,966
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Lance R. Peterson	100.0	102,552

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 102,552
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		John F. Costello Jr.	100.0	92,389

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,389
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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4th District: Holder White Vacancy[edit]

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	%	Votes
✔		Eugene G. Doherty (R)	100.0	723,391

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 723,391
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Eugene G. Doherty	100.0	119,401

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 119,401
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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4th District: Turner Vacancy[edit]

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	%	Votes
✔		Amy Lannerd (R)	100.0	726,943

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 726,943
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Amy Lannerd	100.0	119,441

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 119,441
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Judges not on the ballot[edit]

Mary Ellen Coghlan

2022[edit]

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.

Candidates and results[edit]

Partisan election

1st District: Hall Vacancy[edit]

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
✔		Debra B. Walker (D)	100.0	1,082,856

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,082,856
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Debra B. Walker	44.8	204,270
	Dominique C. Ross	34.3	156,240
	Russell Hartigan	20.9	95,243

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 455,753
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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1st District: Harris Vacancy[edit]

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
✔		Raymond W. Mitchell (D)	100.0	1,039,770

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,039,770
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Raymond W. Mitchell	45.2	200,436
	John H. Ehrlich	33.5	148,383
	Devlin Schoop	21.3	94,450

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 443,269
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2nd District: Burke Vacancy[edit]

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
✔	Chris Kennedy (D)	52.8	302,525
	Susan Clancy Boles (R)	47.2	270,163

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 572,688
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Chris Kennedy	40.4	38,045
	Erin Cartwright Weinstein	39.5	37,236
	Mike Cortina	20.1	18,924

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 94,205
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Susan Clancy Boles	100.0	99,539

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,539
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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3rd District: Wright Vacancy[edit]

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
✔	Liam C. Brennan (R)	52.2	351,044
	Sonni Williams (D)	47.8	321,968

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 673,012
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Sonni Williams	53.1	59,372
	James Murphy	46.9	52,408

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 111,780
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Liam C. Brennan	100.0	120,523

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 120,523
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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5th District: Overstreet Vacancy[edit]

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
✔	Mike McHaney (R)	64.5	413,778
	Brian Roberts (D)	35.5	227,429

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 641,207
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔		Brian Roberts	100.0	60,960

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,960
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
✔	Mike McHaney	56.6	94,115
	Barry L. Vaughan	43.4	72,129

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 166,244
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Thomas DeVore (R)

Retention election

1st District: Howse's seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

1st District: Connors' seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

1st District: Smith's seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

1st District: Delort's seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

1st District: Reyes' seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

1st District: Lavin's seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

2nd District: Birkett's seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

3rd District: Schmidt's seat[edit]

Daniel Schmidt's retention election was canceled after he withdrew.^[8]

5th District: Cates' seat[edit]

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

It has been certified. Source

Vacancies[edit]

2020[edit]

See also: Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of 10 Illinois Appellate Court justices expired on December 7, 2020. Nine of the seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2020, six for retention election and three for partisan election. The tenth seat did not appear on the ballot as the judge did not file to run for retention. A primary for the partisan races was scheduled for March 17, 2020. A full term on the court is 10 years.

Candidates and election results[edit]

Partisan election

First District Appellate Court[edit]

Griffin's seat

General election

General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Sharon Oden-Johnson won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon Oden-Johnson (D)	100.0	1,603,179

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,603,179
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Sharon Oden-Johnson defeated incumbent John C. Griffin in the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 17, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon Oden-Johnson	52.4	395,022
	John C. Griffin	47.6	358,226

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 753,248
= 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.
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Hyman's seat

General election

General election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Michael Hyman won election in the general election for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Hyman (D)	100.0	1,633,319

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,633,319
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Incumbent Michael Hyman defeated Sandra G. Ramos, Maureen O'Leary, and Carolyn Gallagher in the Democratic primary for Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on March 17, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael Hyman	35.5	273,898
	Sandra G. Ramos	27.0	207,989
	Maureen O'Leary	20.7	159,423
	Carolyn Gallagher	16.9	130,067

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 771,377
= 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.
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Fifth District Appellate Court[edit]

Boie's seat

General election

General election for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Mark M. Boie defeated Sarah Smith in the general election for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mark M. Boie (R)	59.9	367,036
	Sarah Smith (D)	40.1	246,166

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 613,202
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Sarah Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Smith	100.0	84,509

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 84,509
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Incumbent Mark M. Boie defeated Katherine Ruocco in the Republican primary for Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on March 17, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mark M. Boie	54.5	52,619
	Katherine Ruocco	45.5	44,011

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,630
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Retention election

First District Appellate Court[edit]

Pucinski's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Aurelia Marie Pucinski was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 77.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	77.4	1,406,831
	No	22.6	411,550
	Total Votes		1,818,381

It has been certified. Source

Rochford's seat

Illinois 1st District Appellate Court

Mary Katherine Rochford was retained to the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 75.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	75.4	1,276,378
	No	24.6	416,477
	Total Votes		1,692,855

It has been certified. Source

Second District Appellate Court[edit]

Jorgensen's seat

Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court

Ann B. Jorgensen was retained to the Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 81.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	81.0	1,090,351
	No	19.0	256,183
	Total Votes		1,346,534

It has been certified. Source

Seminara-Schostok's seat

Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court

Mary Seminara-Schostok was retained to the Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 80.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	80.0	1,061,303
	No	20.0	265,164
	Total Votes		1,326,467

It has been certified. Source

Third District Appellate Court:[edit]

McDade's seat

Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court

Mary McDade was retained to the Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 76.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	76.1	580,382
	No	23.9	182,318
	Total Votes		762,700

It has been certified. Source

Fifth District Appellate Court[edit]

Welch's seat

Illinois 5th District Appellate Court

Thomas Welch was retained to the Illinois 5th District Appellate Court on November 3, 2020 with 75.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	75.4	416,928
	No	24.6	136,244
	Total Votes		553,172

It has been certified. Source

Judges not on the ballot[edit]

Shelvin Louise Marie Hall

2018[edit]

Candidates and results[edit]

Partisan election

Fourth district[edit]

Pope vacancy

General election candidates

Thomas M. Harris (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Appleton vacancy

General election candidates

Peter C. Cavanagh (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Fifth district[edit]

Overstreet's seat

General election candidates

David K. Overstreet (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
Kevin Hoerner (Democratic Party)

Retention election

First district[edit]

McBride's seat

General election candidates

Margaret Stanton McBride (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Second district[edit]

McLaren's seat

General election candidates

Robert McLaren (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Ethics[edit]

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."^[9]

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

Removal of judges[edit]

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

By the Illinois Courts Commission, which may hold a hearing upon a complaint from the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board^[10]
By a two-thirds vote of the Illinois State Senate upon a majority vote for impeachment by the Illinois House of Representatives^[11]

Caseload[edit]

Year	Civil cases filed	Civil cases disposed	Criminal cases filed	Criminal cases disposed	Total filed	Total disposed
2013	4,153	4,370	3,788	3,384	8,134	7,954
2012	4,273	4,180	3,635	3,740	8,079	8,062
2011	4,067	4,376	3,614	3,731	7,826	8,276
2010	4,111	4,167	3,542	3,628	7,836	7,962
2009	4,185	4,207	3,545	3,605	7,730	7,812
2008*
2007	4,000	4,119	3,631	3,734	7,631	7,853
2006	4,186	4,271	3,652	3,980	7,838	8,251

*2008 statistics are unavailable.^[12]

State profile[edit]

Demographic data for Illinois
	Illinois	U.S.
Total population:	12,839,047	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	55,519	3,531,905
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[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Illinois

Illinois voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

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.^[13]

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

Elections in Illinois
United States congressional delegations from Illinois
Public policy in Illinois
Endorsers in Illinois
Illinois fact checks
More...

External links[edit]

Illinois Courts, "Illinois Appellate Court"

Footnotes[edit]

↑ Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court, "History of the Illinois Courts," accessed July 8, 2014
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Illinois Courts, "About the Courts in Illinois," archived March 15, 2015
↑ Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, "Courts," archived June 11, 2009
↑ Daily Herald, "Illinois Supreme Court lifts hold on judicial redistricting," Dec. 8, 2021
↑ Illinois Courts, "First District Appellate Judges," accessed August 31, 2015
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 8, 2021
↑ National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024
↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed October 18, 2022
↑ State of Illinois, "Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ Constitution of the State of Illinois, "ARTICLE IV," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ Illinois Courts, "Total All Districts of Appellate Court Criminal and Civil Caseload Statistics," accessed August 31, 2015
↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

Illinois courts

Federal courts:

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois

State courts:

Illinois Supreme Court • Illinois Appellate Court • Illinois Circuit Court

State resources:

Courts in Illinois • Illinois judicial elections • Judicial selection in Illinois

[1] Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court, "History of the Illinois Courts," accessed July 8, 2014

[about-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Illinois Courts, "About the Courts in Illinois," archived March 15, 2015

[3] Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, "Courts," archived June 11, 2009

[4] Daily Herald, "Illinois Supreme Court lifts hold on judicial redistricting," Dec. 8, 2021

[5] Illinois Courts, "First District Appellate Judges," accessed August 31, 2015

[ILselect-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 8, 2021

[7] National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024

[withdrew-8] Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed October 18, 2022

[9] State of Illinois, "Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed July 17, 2023

[10] State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed July 17, 2023

[11] Constitution of the State of Illinois, "ARTICLE IV," accessed July 17, 2023

[12] Illinois Courts, "Total All Districts of Appellate Court Criminal and Civil Caseload Statistics," accessed August 31, 2015

[13] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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