Mark Curran

Mark Curran (Republican Party) ran for election for the 2nd District judge of the Illinois Supreme Court. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Mark Curran was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Spring Hill College. He earned a J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology. Curran's career experience includes working as an attorney. He has served as a sheriff with the Lake County Sheriff's Department, as a senior prosecutor with the Lake County state's attorney's office, and as a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney.^[1]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Elizabeth M. Rochford defeated Mark Curran in the general election for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Elizabeth M. Rochford (D)	55.2	318,281
	Mark Curran (R)	44.8	258,014

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 576,295
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Elizabeth M. Rochford defeated Nancy Rotering and René Cruz in the Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Elizabeth M. Rochford	44.4	42,955
		Nancy Rotering	28.7	27,763
	Submit photo	René Cruz	26.9	25,977

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,695
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Mark Curran defeated Daniel Shanes, John A. Noverini, and Susan Hutchinson in the Republican primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Curran	29.5	31,628
	Submit photo	Daniel Shanes	28.2	30,204
		John A. Noverini	21.7	23,234
		Susan Hutchinson	20.6	22,049

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 107,115
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

United States Senate election in Illinois, 2020 (March 17 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in Illinois, 2020 (March 17 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Illinois

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Illinois on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dick Durbin (D)	54.9	3,278,930
		Mark Curran (R)	38.9	2,319,870
		Willie Wilson (Willie Wilson Party)	4.0	237,699
		Danny Malouf (L)	1.3	75,673
		David Black (G)	1.0	56,711
	Submit photo	Kevin Keely (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	10
		Lowell Seida (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	6
	Submit photo	Albert Schaal (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	2

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,968,901
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Patrick Feges (Independent)
Chad Koppie (Constitution Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois

Incumbent Dick Durbin advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dick Durbin	100.0	1,446,118

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,446,118
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Anne Stava-Murray (D)
Marilyn Jordan Lawlor (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Curran	41.6	205,747
		Peggy Hubbard	22.9	113,189
		Robert Marshall	15.3	75,561
		Tom Tarter	14.7	73,009
		Casey Chlebek	5.6	27,655
	Submit photo	Richard Mayers (Write-in)	0.0	7

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 495,168
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

To view Curran's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Mark Curran did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Mark Curran completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Curran's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have a platform that resonates with a growing number of Illinois voters. I advocate for sound economic policy that keeps taxes as low as possible while safeguarding our social safety net for our citizenry. I am a believer in fair trade, free market principles, and getting out the way of small business owners who are trying to survive in a difficult environment. Perhaps uniquely among Republican candidates, I also support union labor and I believe that good economic policy helps ensure the health of union wages and jobs. However, I also believe that union leadership is generally reluctant to listen to the concerns of its rank and file membership. In short, I support working men and women both inside and outside of organized labor.

I am proud to be pro-life-a conviction that is rooted in my Catholic faith. I also support immigration reform -including DACA-while I also advocate for border security which is needed to keep our nation secure.

As a former sheriff of Lake County, I understand how to support law and order-which is perhaps the most pressing issue in America today.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will work to safeguard our civil liberties including freedom of association, religion, and speech.
I support solid legislation to bring manufacturing jobs back to America and to support small businesses
I support truly fair trade-not trade agreements such as NAFTA that put American workers at a disadvantage

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

These are found in the three key messages articulated above: protection of civil liberties, pro-business/worker legislation, and fair trade policies.

I also am a strong defender of the unborn, while I recognize that abortion legislation should remain a state issue.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

This might sound odd, but I truly don't look to other people to emulate. I. have certainly been inspired by many people, and I have had fine mentors as well. But in accordance with my faith, I look to Christ and the saints as my true examples.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It might sound trite, but I believe that honesty truly is the best policy. It is a key component of integrity, which should be the foundation for any elected official.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Everything I do is rooted in the knowledge that I will be held accountable both in their life and eventually before God. I am always striving to be a better person in every capacity. I have wide range experience that will serve me well as a Senator.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be remembered as a person who positively impacted the lives of those around me.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Bible. It serves as a source of inspiration, guidance, and hope for me.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Every one of us has experienced a range of struggles-many of them deeply personal. I can say that navigating a political climate that is increasingly polarized is an ongoing challenge. I hope to be able to be a positive force for the greater good in our country.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

It is two fold. We are seeing a shocking escalation of anti-American rhetoric and behaviors from several quarters in the nation. When I say " anti-American" I am referring to the desire to dismantle the system of government and the economy that has helped make America the force for good in the world for over two centuries. With the ever increasing violence and terror many cities are being plagued with, it is going to be a long, difficult challenge to quell the forces that seek to divide and destroy us and to help bring about true unity for all our citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. .

The second greatest challenge will be to preserve our standing as a leader in the world as both regimes and political actors seek to reduce America's power and sovereignty to that of other nations. This globalist outlook does not benefit our people, and it also does not benefit other nations as those promoting this dogma would suggest that it does.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The U.S. Senate provides an unusually long term for the people's representative to influence policy and advance the positions and concerns of his or her constituency. Unfortunately, some members of the Senate squander that opportunity to affect real change-and what is more-many remain in their positions for multiple terms almost as a form of entitlement. I intend to use my time as a Senator doing the work of the Illinois people and not the work of special interest groups.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think that we have seem that you do not need to be a politician to serve your nation as a leader. However, having experience in the public sphere certainly prepares you for the challenges and obstacles that characterize the job of a legislator.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Obviously, the filibuster can be extremely frustrating for those who are on the opposite side of the one filibustering. But it is an important tool-and our Framers knew this. Substantive change usually comes from slow and intentional decision making. In this hyper divided times, the filibuster is the only measure remaining to protect citizens from radical change. This flies in the face of what many Democrats like Chuck Schumer wants, but nonetheless, the 60 vote threshold -alongside the filibuster-helps to guard against extreme policy making .

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

I believe that elections have consequences. That means that a President should have his or her appointees confirmed as a matter of policy unless egregious factors such as current or past illegal activity is discovered.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other senators?

I do. I have built my successful careers as both a sheriff and as a prosecutor on having good relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.

It is also important, however, not to view the Senate as some sort of ":club." That mindset just promotes group think , in my view.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I am most interested in the Subcommittee on Security, the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and the Senate Committee on Commerce.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

There are several senators whom I admire. Among these are Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley. I do not seek to emulate anyone, however.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

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Candidate

Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 31, 2020

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 31, 2020

[1]

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Mark Curran

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Supreme Court 2nd District

2020

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Illinois

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

Information for candidates

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