Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2020
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Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population. This coverage extends to every office on the ballot for residents of these cities, including local trial court judges. In 2020, Ballotpedia covered the following local elections in this state:
- Cook County, Illinois - County clerk of circuit court, county state's attorney, board of review commissioner, metropolitan water reclamation district, county circuit court, county judicial circuit
If the above list includes local trial court judgeships, click the links for more information about the elections. Click here to learn more about how the judges in this state are selected. Ballotpedia did not cover all local trial court judicial elections in this state in 2020. Please consider donating to Ballotpedia to help us expand our coverage of these elections.
Election rules
Primary election
The general primary occurs on the third Tuesday in March.[1] Unlike many states with contested judicial elections, races in Illinois are regularly contested, often with several candidates running for a seat. The Illinois primary is closed, meaning that voters must declare which major political party's ballot they wish to vote on.[2]
The candidate that wins the most votes in the primary advances to the general election to compete against the candidate from the other party.[1] If only one party has candidates in a primary race, that winner will continue on to run unopposed in the general election.[3] Uncontested primary candidates are not included on the primary ballot but instead automatically advance to the general election.[1][4]
General election
The general election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.[1]
Retention election
At the expiration of their term, judges may run for retention. Judges seeking retention are required to file a declaration of candidacy to succeed themselves with the secretary of state at least six months prior to the general election. The names of judges seeking retention are then given to voters on a special judicial ballot—without party designation and without an opposing candidate—featuring the sole question of whether he or she should be retained for another term in office.[5] Retention elections are held along with the general elections in the specific district or circuit where the judge is seeking retention. To be retained, judges must receive three-fifths of the vote.[6]
Additional elections
- See also: Illinois elections, 2020
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Eleven of 102 Illinois counties—10.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Alexander County, Illinois | 8.30% | 13.65% | 12.62% | ||||
| Carroll County, Illinois | 26.69% | 1.49% | 4.81% | ||||
| Fulton County, Illinois | 14.93% | 11.04% | 21.33% | ||||
| Henderson County, Illinois | 28.43% | 12.25% | 17.67% | ||||
| Henry County, Illinois | 20.99% | 3.08% | 7.74% | ||||
| Jo Daviess County, Illinois | 14.64% | 1.16% | 10.49% | ||||
| Knox County, Illinois | 2.91% | 17.37% | 19.89% | ||||
| Mercer County, Illinois | 20.36% | 7.39% | 11.91% | ||||
| Putnam County, Illinois | 19.92% | 1.82% | 15.64% | ||||
| Warren County, Illinois | 16.50% | 5.47% | 8.08% | ||||
| Whiteside County, Illinois | 6.18% | 17.02% | 17.56% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Illinois with 55.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 38.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Illinois voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 50 percent of the time. Illinois voted Democratic in all five elections from 2000 to 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Illinois. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[7][8]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 75 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 39.2 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 76 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 42.1 points. Clinton won 13 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 43 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 15 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 42 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 22.1 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 83.62% | 15.21% | D+68.4 | 82.32% | 14.37% | D+68 | D |
| 2 | 82.39% | 15.42% | D+67 | 80.05% | 14.65% | D+65.4 | D |
| 3 | 79.93% | 18.51% | D+61.4 | 79.31% | 17.11% | D+62.2 | D |
| 4 | 85.70% | 11.51% | D+74.2 | 86.74% | 8.01% | D+78.7 | D |
| 5 | 85.51% | 13.50% | D+72 | 86.81% | 9.67% | D+77.1 | D |
| 6 | 87.98% | 11.09% | D+76.9 | 85.82% | 10.82% | D+75 | D |
| 7 | 80.06% | 18.99% | D+61.1 | 80.62% | 15.84% | D+64.8 | D |
| 8 | 86.10% | 13.03% | D+73.1 | 85.11% | 11.52% | D+73.6 | D |
| 9 | 87.33% | 11.58% | D+75.8 | 87.72% | 8.52% | D+79.2 | D |
| 10 | 89.16% | 9.51% | D+79.7 | 89.44% | 6.93% | D+82.5 | D |
| 11 | 70.89% | 26.65% | D+44.2 | 80.64% | 13.16% | D+67.5 | D |
| 12 | 72.73% | 24.96% | D+47.8 | 81.23% | 13.31% | D+67.9 | D |
| 13 | 83.32% | 14.08% | D+69.2 | 85.26% | 10.09% | D+75.2 | D |
| 14 | 86.60% | 10.95% | D+75.7 | 86.67% | 8.59% | D+78.1 | D |
| 15 | 61.08% | 37.44% | D+23.6 | 63.15% | 32.35% | D+30.8 | D |
| 16 | 67.28% | 31.33% | D+36 | 70.19% | 26.06% | D+44.1 | D |
| 17 | 61.83% | 36.93% | D+24.9 | 69.97% | 25.22% | D+44.8 | D |
| 18 | 66.52% | 31.94% | D+34.6 | 76.28% | 18.12% | D+58.2 | D |
| 19 | 63.32% | 34.68% | D+28.6 | 60.22% | 34.98% | D+25.2 | D |
| 20 | 52.74% | 45.64% | D+7.1 | 51.65% | 43.61% | D+8 | R |
| 21 | 74.33% | 24.11% | D+50.2 | 74.36% | 21.32% | D+53 | D |
| 22 | 71.92% | 26.75% | D+45.2 | 72.11% | 24.01% | D+48.1 | D |
| 23 | 68.15% | 30.25% | D+37.9 | 68.21% | 27.01% | D+41.2 | D |
| 24 | 76.56% | 21.82% | D+54.7 | 78.51% | 17.01% | D+61.5 | D |
| 25 | 93.09% | 5.86% | D+87.2 | 91.45% | 5.66% | D+85.8 | D |
| 26 | 85.59% | 13.65% | D+71.9 | 86.53% | 10.16% | D+76.4 | D |
| 27 | 81.90% | 17.46% | D+64.4 | 79.07% | 18.14% | D+60.9 | D |
| 28 | 79.41% | 19.90% | D+59.5 | 75.46% | 21.59% | D+53.9 | D |
| 29 | 83.65% | 15.75% | D+67.9 | 81.69% | 15.87% | D+65.8 | D |
| 30 | 82.89% | 16.29% | D+66.6 | 79.99% | 16.71% | D+63.3 | D |
| 31 | 82.49% | 16.80% | D+65.7 | 77.74% | 19.39% | D+58.4 | D |
| 32 | 87.17% | 12.26% | D+74.9 | 82.32% | 15.18% | D+67.1 | D |
| 33 | 87.38% | 12.10% | D+75.3 | 85.39% | 12.24% | D+73.2 | D |
| 34 | 80.42% | 18.91% | D+61.5 | 76.17% | 21.23% | D+54.9 | D |
| 35 | 56.71% | 41.96% | D+14.8 | 53.87% | 41.66% | D+12.2 | D |
| 36 | 56.82% | 41.83% | D+15 | 56.15% | 39.16% | D+17 | D |
| 37 | 39.72% | 58.89% | R+19.2 | 39.49% | 55.32% | R+15.8 | R |
| 38 | 78.87% | 20.34% | D+58.5 | 76.44% | 20.51% | D+55.9 | D |
| 39 | 82.46% | 14.81% | D+67.7 | 82.71% | 12.52% | D+70.2 | D |
| 40 | 81.75% | 15.46% | D+66.3 | 82.84% | 11.67% | D+71.2 | D |
| 41 | 47.44% | 51.05% | R+3.6 | 55.32% | 38.20% | D+17.1 | R |
| 42 | 45.06% | 53.21% | R+8.2 | 51.28% | 41.48% | D+9.8 | R |
| 43 | 65.55% | 32.50% | D+33.1 | 65.81% | 28.61% | D+37.2 | D |
| 44 | 62.30% | 36.05% | D+26.3 | 62.48% | 32.17% | D+30.3 | D |
| 45 | 48.18% | 50.30% | R+2.1 | 48.39% | 46.46% | D+1.9 | R |
| 46 | 58.46% | 39.71% | D+18.8 | 59.07% | 35.26% | D+23.8 | D |
| 47 | 43.33% | 55.30% | R+12 | 51.72% | 41.63% | D+10.1 | R |
| 48 | 49.08% | 49.10% | R+0 | 55.13% | 37.66% | D+17.5 | R |
| 49 | 47.84% | 50.47% | R+2.6 | 52.14% | 40.94% | D+11.2 | R |
| 50 | 42.69% | 55.72% | R+13 | 44.59% | 48.88% | R+4.3 | R |
| 51 | 42.13% | 56.55% | R+14.4 | 50.03% | 43.68% | D+6.3 | R |
| 52 | 44.02% | 54.27% | R+10.3 | 45.31% | 48.09% | R+2.8 | R |
| 53 | 49.78% | 48.75% | D+1 | 55.58% | 38.54% | D+17 | R |
| 54 | 47.53% | 50.89% | R+3.4 | 53.16% | 40.31% | D+12.9 | R |
| 55 | 55.26% | 43.04% | D+12.2 | 57.50% | 37.06% | D+20.4 | D |
| 56 | 55.72% | 42.70% | D+13 | 56.72% | 37.77% | D+19 | D |
| 57 | 57.78% | 40.95% | D+16.8 | 61.54% | 33.50% | D+28 | D |
| 58 | 56.67% | 42.28% | D+14.4 | 67.90% | 27.15% | D+40.8 | D |
| 59 | 59.17% | 39.44% | D+19.7 | 64.53% | 30.30% | D+34.2 | D |
| 60 | 75.70% | 23.34% | D+52.4 | 75.53% | 20.08% | D+55.5 | D |
| 61 | 50.84% | 47.70% | D+3.1 | 51.76% | 42.09% | D+9.7 | R |
| 62 | 54.69% | 43.51% | D+11.2 | 55.13% | 38.21% | D+16.9 | D |
| 63 | 45.16% | 52.83% | R+7.7 | 40.55% | 52.68% | R+12.1 | R |
| 64 | 44.10% | 54.17% | R+10.1 | 41.29% | 52.51% | R+11.2 | R |
| 65 | 43.52% | 55.10% | R+11.6 | 46.78% | 47.37% | R+0.6 | R |
| 66 | 46.19% | 52.24% | R+6.1 | 46.91% | 46.96% | R+0.1 | R |
| 67 | 70.11% | 28.12% | D+42 | 64.34% | 30.36% | D+34 | D |
| 68 | 48.13% | 50.10% | R+2 | 44.36% | 49.75% | R+5.4 | R |
| 69 | 43.41% | 54.91% | R+11.5 | 38.97% | 55.13% | R+16.2 | R |
| 70 | 49.12% | 48.75% | D+0.4 | 46.09% | 46.77% | R+0.7 | R |
| 71 | 56.68% | 41.68% | D+15 | 43.93% | 50.00% | R+6.1 | R |
| 72 | 62.60% | 35.95% | D+26.7 | 53.78% | 40.19% | D+13.6 | D |
| 73 | 37.57% | 60.78% | R+23.2 | 34.45% | 59.10% | R+24.7 | R |
| 74 | 50.34% | 47.90% | D+2.4 | 37.36% | 56.41% | R+19.1 | R |
| 75 | 43.44% | 54.51% | R+11.1 | 36.58% | 57.17% | R+20.6 | R |
| 76 | 52.08% | 46.00% | D+6.1 | 42.52% | 51.68% | R+9.2 | R |
| 77 | 64.97% | 33.66% | D+31.3 | 64.89% | 30.98% | D+33.9 | D |
| 78 | 80.57% | 18.10% | D+62.5 | 80.12% | 15.92% | D+64.2 | D |
| 79 | 48.61% | 49.64% | R+1 | 41.25% | 53.07% | R+11.8 | R |
| 80 | 66.23% | 32.75% | D+33.5 | 64.99% | 31.42% | D+33.6 | D |
| 81 | 49.98% | 48.31% | D+1.7 | 54.80% | 38.55% | D+16.3 | R |
| 82 | 41.03% | 57.68% | R+16.7 | 43.86% | 50.67% | R+6.8 | R |
| 83 | 69.12% | 29.20% | D+39.9 | 69.54% | 24.80% | D+44.7 | D |
| 84 | 59.63% | 38.93% | D+20.7 | 63.03% | 31.19% | D+31.8 | D |
| 85 | 63.64% | 34.81% | D+28.8 | 60.90% | 33.45% | D+27.5 | D |
| 86 | 65.21% | 33.17% | D+32 | 61.15% | 34.04% | D+27.1 | D |
| 87 | 36.99% | 60.88% | R+23.9 | 30.62% | 63.34% | R+32.7 | R |
| 88 | 40.02% | 57.84% | R+17.8 | 38.41% | 54.54% | R+16.1 | R |
| 89 | 45.79% | 52.18% | R+6.4 | 35.99% | 57.98% | R+22 | R |
| 90 | 42.91% | 55.12% | R+12.2 | 36.05% | 57.26% | R+21.2 | R |
| 91 | 50.46% | 47.13% | D+3.3 | 37.74% | 55.81% | R+18.1 | R |
| 92 | 63.44% | 34.67% | D+28.8 | 59.86% | 34.18% | D+25.7 | D |
| 93 | 49.27% | 48.45% | D+0.8 | 36.82% | 57.40% | R+20.6 | R |
| 94 | 37.54% | 60.67% | R+23.1 | 26.64% | 68.63% | R+42 | R |
| 95 | 42.49% | 54.95% | R+12.5 | 28.84% | 65.74% | R+36.9 | R |
| 96 | 58.74% | 39.47% | D+19.3 | 50.73% | 44.13% | D+6.6 | D |
| 97 | 46.85% | 51.64% | R+4.8 | 47.31% | 46.94% | D+0.4 | R |
| 98 | 59.53% | 39.10% | D+20.4 | 58.02% | 36.87% | D+21.2 | D |
| 99 | 41.40% | 56.65% | R+15.3 | 41.34% | 52.43% | R+11.1 | R |
| 100 | 37.26% | 60.42% | R+23.2 | 25.75% | 69.57% | R+43.8 | R |
| 101 | 33.91% | 64.22% | R+30.3 | 28.70% | 65.31% | R+36.6 | R |
| 102 | 33.32% | 64.74% | R+31.4 | 26.87% | 67.69% | R+40.8 | R |
| 103 | 67.85% | 28.35% | D+39.5 | 71.56% | 20.92% | D+50.6 | D |
| 104 | 46.02% | 52.10% | R+6.1 | 42.48% | 52.16% | R+9.7 | R |
| 105 | 41.33% | 56.81% | R+15.5 | 45.19% | 47.11% | R+1.9 | R |
| 106 | 29.26% | 68.84% | R+39.6 | 22.90% | 71.51% | R+48.6 | R |
| 107 | 34.01% | 64.10% | R+30.1 | 22.81% | 72.62% | R+49.8 | R |
| 108 | 34.28% | 63.51% | R+29.2 | 26.75% | 67.49% | R+40.7 | R |
| 109 | 27.23% | 70.75% | R+43.5 | 17.21% | 79.13% | R+61.9 | R |
| 110 | 37.75% | 60.20% | R+22.5 | 27.66% | 67.10% | R+39.4 | R |
| 111 | 51.31% | 46.13% | D+5.2 | 39.05% | 55.40% | R+16.4 | D |
| 112 | 48.97% | 48.87% | D+0.1 | 44.35% | 49.85% | R+5.5 | D |
| 113 | 58.59% | 39.41% | D+19.2 | 53.73% | 41.03% | D+12.7 | D |
| 114 | 63.89% | 34.84% | D+29.1 | 57.60% | 38.35% | D+19.3 | D |
| 115 | 43.13% | 53.93% | R+10.8 | 33.20% | 61.29% | R+28.1 | R |
| 116 | 41.16% | 56.77% | R+15.6 | 29.39% | 66.21% | R+36.8 | D |
| 117 | 37.92% | 59.99% | R+22.1 | 26.42% | 69.38% | R+43 | R |
| 118 | 39.86% | 58.03% | R+18.2 | 28.44% | 67.59% | R+39.2 | D |
| Total | 57.61% | 40.74% | D+16.9 | 55.96% | 38.85% | D+17.1 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Local courts | Illinois | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Illinois State Board of Elections, "Voting on Election Day," accessed January 25, 2016
- ↑ Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago, "2014 Primary: Frequently Asked Questions," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "John Roska: Judicial elections explained," March 9, 2014
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Unopposed Candidates Find Waiting The Primary Concern," February 3, 1992, accessed March 7, 2014
- ↑ The Illinois Courts, "About the Courts in Illinois," accessed March 10, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Constitution, Article VI, Section 12 (d)
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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
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