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Joy Cunningham
2022 - Present
2034
2
Joy Cunningham (Democratic Party) is a judge for the 1st District of the Illinois Supreme Court. She assumed office on December 1, 2022. Her current term ends on December 4, 2034.
Cunningham (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for the 1st District judge of the Illinois Supreme Court. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Cunningham first became a member of the court by appointment. Members of the court appointed her in September 2022.[1] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Biography
Education
Judge Cunningham received her bachelor's degree from the City University of New York and her J.D. from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1982.[2]
Career
Judge Cunningham began her career as a judicial clerk for Illinois Appellate Justice Glenn Johnson. She later worked as an assistant attorney general, a lawyer for the firm of French, Rogers, Kezelis & Kominiarek, and as associate general counsel for Loyola University of Chicago and the Loyola University Health System. She then became a judge on the Cook County Circuit Court, where she served until 2000. From 2000 until her election to the appellate court, she was the senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary for the Northwestern Memorial System.[2]
Awards and associations
Judge Cunningham has also been involved in various community activities. Some of her past and present positions and associations include:
- Elected president of the Chicago Bar Association (2004-05)
- Board of Directors for the Chicago Bar Foundation, the Center for Conflict Resolution, the Center for Disability and Elder Law, and the Chicago Legal Clinic
- Member, American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and Women's Bar Association of Illinois
- Volunteer, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
- Volunteer, Constitutional Rights Foundation
- Volunteer, Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children
- Volunteer, March of Dimes
- Member, Economic Club of Chicago
- Member, Chicago Network[2]
Elections
2024
See also: Illinois Supreme Court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Illinois Supreme Court 1st District
Incumbent Joy Cunningham won election in the general election for Illinois Supreme Court 1st District on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joy Cunningham (D) | 100.0 | 1,571,500 |
| Total votes: 1,571,500 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court 1st District
Incumbent Joy Cunningham defeated Jesse G. Reyes in the Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court 1st District on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joy Cunningham | 75.3 | 381,185 |
 | Jesse G. Reyes | 24.7 | 125,029 | |
| Total votes: 506,214 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2016
- See also: Illinois judicial elections, 2016
Judge Cunningham filed to stand for retention on the state court of appeals in 2016.[3]
Election results
November 8 general election
Joy Cunningham was retained in the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Cunningham Seat election with 78.84% of the vote.
| Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Cunningham Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Joy Cunningham | 78.84% | |
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections Official Results | ||
2012
- See also: Illinois judicial elections, 2012
Cunningham ran for election to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2012.[4] She was defeated in the Democratic primary, receiving 23% of the vote.[5]
Campaign advertisements
In 2012, Joy Cunningham spent $135,580 on primary TV ads.[6]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Joy Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Appointments
The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Joy Cunningham to the court on September 12, 2022. Cunningham succeeded Anne M. Burke, who retired on November 30, 2022.[7] Cunningham's term was effective December 1, 2022, through December 2, 2024.[8]
At the time of the vacancy under Illinois law, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed replacement justices.
State supreme court judicial selection in Illinois
- See also: Judicial selection in Illinois
The seven justices of the Illinois Supreme 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.[9]
Supreme court justices in Illinois are elected to represent specific districts. The seven justices are divided among five districts (three allocated to Cook County and the others divided evenly among the other four districts) and are voted into office by the residents of their respective regions.[9]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court is chosen by peer vote to serve a three-year term.[9]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the Illinois Supreme Court is responsible for appointing an interim justice. If a justice is appointed more than 60 days before the next primary election, the justice must run in a partisan election in the next general or judicial election to remain on the court. The appointed justice's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election. If a justice is appointed less than 60 days before the next primary election, the justice will have to run in a partisan election to remain on the court in the second general election. The appointed justice's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election[9]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Illinois Supreme Court 1st District |
Officeholder Illinois Supreme Court 1st District |
Footnotes
- ↑ ABC7, "Chief Justice Anne Burke announces retirement from Illinois Supreme Court," September 12, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Illinois Courts, "Cunningham, Joy V.," accessed December 1, 2022
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "List of Judges Seeking Retention in the November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed May 12, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List for Supreme Court seat, 2012"
- ↑ IllinoisJudges.net, Election Results for the March 20th Illinois Judicial Primary
- ↑ Justice at Stake, "Campaign Money Patterns Entering New Phase in 2012 Judicial Races," September 13, 2012
- ↑ Illinois Supreme Court, "CHIEF JUSTICE ANNE M. BURKE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOY V. CUNNINGHAM TO FILL VACANCY," September 12, 2022
- ↑ ABC 7 Chicago, "Chief Justice Anne Burke announces retirement from Illinois Supreme Court," September 12, 2022
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 8, 2021
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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