Democratic candidates for the Illinois Supreme Court appeared to sweep their races in Tuesday’s elections, giving the party a 5-2 majority.
A spokesperson for Justice Michael Burke, a Republican who has served on the court since 2020, said Wednesday that the justice has conceded his race to his Democratic challenger, Appellate Court Justice Mary Kay O’Brien, who holds a 1 percentage point lead with most of the vote counted.
Advertisement
Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, a Republican, conceded to Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford in a Tuesday night phone call. Rochford holds a 54% to 46% lead in the unofficial results.
Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, a Democrat who was on the ballot for a retention vote in Cook County, appears to have secured far more than the 60% approval needed to keep her seat.
Advertisement
Democrats held a 4-3 advantage on the court prior to Election Day, and the party cast the contested races as a referendum on abortion. Commercials by the candidates and their backers contended that electing Republicans would endanger that right in Illinois.
The Republicans, meanwhile, aimed to portray their opponents as products of the state’s Democratic machine who owed their careers to indicted former House Speaker Michael Madigan and other power brokers.
The campaigns were richly funded, with preliminary figures showing outside groups put more than $11 million into the races. Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave the maximum $500,000 to each Democratic candidate, and his personal trust fund kicked in another $500,000 apiece.
The opulent spending and sharply political tone of much of the advertising surrounding the races disturbed some observers, who said it threatens public confidence in a judiciary that is supposed to operate with independence.
Read Tuesday night’s coverage of the Illinois Supreme Court races here.
