Joe Gump

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Joe Gump

Democratic Party

Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Tenure

2022 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Susanne Groebner

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1983

Law

DePaul University College of Law, 1987

Personal

Birthplace

Evanston, Ill.

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign X

Campaign Instagram

Joe Gump (Democratic Party) is a judge for the 13th Subcircuit of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. He assumed office on December 5, 2022. His current term ends on December 4, 2028.

Gump (Democratic Party) ran in a special election for the 13th Subcircuit judge of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. He won in the special general election on November 8, 2022.

Gump completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Joe Gump was born in Evanston, Illinois. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1983 and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1987. Gump's career experience includes working as the Assistant Cook County public defender and as a felony trial attorney.

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2022)

General election

Special general election for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Joe Gump defeated Gary Seyring in the special general election for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Gump (D)	56.3	58,662
	Submit photo	Gary Seyring (R)	43.7	45,523

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 104,185
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Joe Gump defeated James Costello in the special Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Gump	50.3	11,789
		James Costello	49.7	11,628

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,417
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Gary Seyring defeated Dominic Buttitta and Christine Svenson in the special Republican primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Gary Seyring	43.1	7,432
	Submit photo	Dominic Buttitta	32.9	5,675
	Submit photo	Christine Svenson	24.0	4,131

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,238
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2020)

General election

General election for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Susanne Groebner defeated Gary Seyring in the general election for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susanne Groebner (D)	54.8	84,945
	Submit photo	Gary Seyring (R)	45.2	70,205

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 155,150
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Susanne Groebner defeated Joe Gump, incumbent Michael Gerber, Matt Flamm, and Michael Minton in the Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susanne Groebner	42.6	15,791
		Joe Gump	25.7	9,534
	Submit photo	Michael Gerber	17.0	6,298
		Matt Flamm	8.7	3,213
	Submit photo	Michael Minton	6.0	2,233

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,069
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Gary Seyring defeated Angel Garcia in the Republican primary for Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Gary Seyring	72.6	8,783
	Submit photo	Angel Garcia	27.4	3,307

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,090
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joe Gump completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gump's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

“I feel that I would be an excellent candidate to fill the vacancy (Hon. Susanne M. Groebner) in the 13th subcircuit. As a public defender, I have enjoyed working with most States Attorneys and Judges to find appropriate dispositions in criminal cases that take into account the nature and circumstances of the offense, injury to the complainant or to society, and the background of the accused, including prior criminal behavior, mental health history, and drug or alcohol dependence. While I recognize the need for incarceration in some cases, I also believe in the concept of rehabilitative potential, and support the notion of progressive and corrective discipline where necessary. I am a strong believer in specialty courts such as the mental health court, drug court and veterans court, and I support bond reform measures that affirm the presumption of innocence by allowing the accused to remain free on bond or on electronic home monitoring pending the disposition of their non-violent criminal cases. If elected judge, I will be guided by these values. That is why I am asking for your support of my candidacy to be a judge in the 13th subcircuit.”

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?

• Evaluated as QUALIFIED/RECOMMENDED by all Illinois Bar Associations for the office of Circuit Court Judge.
• Endorsed by Chicago Federation of Labor, IVI-IPO and Personal PAC, Illinois' leading reproductive rights organization.
• Practicing lawyer for 35 years, of which 17 years as felony trial attorney in the Rolling Meadows courthouse, the only courthouse in the 13th subcircuit

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a career Cook County Assistant Public Defender, I was acutely aware of the potential that my indigent clients would be treated as second class citizens within the criminal justice system. I was cognizant of the possibility that their right to due process and a favorable disposition of their case may be compromised because another defendant in a similar situation and faced with similar charges would receive a more favorable outcome for no other reason than (s)he could afford a private attorney. I was also vigilant in protecting the rights of minority clients against perceived and actual discrimination by all parties involved in their criminal prosecution. I would endeavor to continue this practice as a sitting Circuit Court Judge.

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

While I was growing up, my parents were always very active in social and political causes such as the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and opposing nuclear proliferation. While I was in law school, both of my parents were sentenced to federal prison for participating in symbolic acts of nuclear disarmament (the Plowshares Movement). Witnessing their criminal trials and observing once again the courage of their convictions, I decided to practice criminal law and become an Assistant Cook County Public Defender.

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

Integrity. Transparency. Honesty.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

My overriding goal would be to administer the law in a fair, compassionate, and impartial manner.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

As a career Cook County Assistant Public Defender, I was acutely aware of the potential that my indigent clients would be treated as second class citizens within the criminal justice system. I was cognizant of the possibility that their right to due process and a favorable disposition of their case may be compromised because another defendant in a similar situation and faced with similar charges would receive a more favorable outcome for no other reason than (s)he could afford a private attorney. I was also vigilant in protecting the rights of minority clients against perceived and actual discrimination by all parties involved in their criminal prosecution. I would endeavor to continue this practice as a sitting Circuit Court Judge.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Yes by all Illinois bar associations who evaluate judicial candidates in Feb. 2020.

Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area (AABA) - QUALIFIED
Black Women’s Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago (BWLA) - RECOMMENDED
Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL) - QUALIFIED
Cook County Bar Association (CCBA) - RECOMMENDED
Decalogue Society of Lawyers (DSL) - RECOMMENDED
Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois (HBA) - RECOMMENDED
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI) - RECOMMENDED
Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) - QUALIFIED
Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago (LAGBAC) - RECOMMENDED
Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois (PRBA) - RECOMMENDED

Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) - RECOMMENDED

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I have deep roots in the 13th subcircuit. I am a 28-year resident of the 13th subcircuit, and served for 17 years as felony trial attorney in the Rolling Meadows courthouse, the only courthouse in the 13th subcircuit. My three daughters were born and raised in the 13th, graduating from Palatine High School and Fremd. My wife, Linda, owns a small business in Barrington. We know the subcircuit and reflect its values.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

I am acutely aware of the ravages of addiction and mental illness and am a big proponent of specialty courts such as Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court.

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.

2020

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 30-year career as an Assistant Public Defender representing the indigent accused. I have enjoyed working with most States Attorneys and Judges to find appropriate dispositions in criminal cases that take into account the nature and circumstances of the offense, injury to the complainant or to society, and the background of the accused, including prior criminal behavior, mental health history, and drug or alcohol dependence. While I recognize the need for incarceration in some cases, I also believe in the concept of rehabilitative potential, and support the notion of progressive and corrective discipline where necessary. I am a strong believer in specialty courts such as the mental health court, drug court and veterans court, and I support bond reform measures that affirm the presumption of innocence by allowing the accused to remain free on bond or on electronic home monitoring pending the disposition of their cases. If elected judge, I will be guided by these values.

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?

• Qualified: Vetted and found qualified and recommended by all the major Illinois Bar Associations, including the Chicago Bar Association.
• Experienced: Assistant Cook County Public Defender for 30 years, including 17 years as a felony trial attorney and 11 years as a felony appellate attorney.
• Deep roots in the 13th Judicial Subcircuit of Cook County, where Joe and his family have resided for 25 years, first in Palatine (22 years) and currently in Inverness.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Criminal justice reform

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

Qualified. Fair.

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.

See also

2022 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Cook County Circuit Court 13th Subcircuit

Website

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Footnotes

Illinois courts

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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