Kelly Marie McCarthy

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Kelly Marie McCarthy

Democratic Party

Cook County Circuit Court

Tenure

2020 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

4

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Northeastern Illinois University, 1996

Law

John Marshall Law School, 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Berwyn, Ill.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Kelly Marie McCarthy (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois. She assumed office on December 7, 2020. Her current term ends on December 7, 2026.

McCarthy (Democratic Party) ran for election for judge of the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

McCarthy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kelly Marie McCarthy was born in Berwyn, Illinois. She earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern Illinois University in 1996 and a law degree from John Marshall Law School in 2001. McCarthy’s career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2020

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

General election

General election for Cook County Circuit Court

Kelly Marie McCarthy won election in the general election for Cook County Circuit Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Marie McCarthy (D)	100.0	1,539,700

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,539,700
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court

Kelly Marie McCarthy defeated Elizabeth Ryan, incumbent James Derico Jr., and Aileen Bhandari in the Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Marie McCarthy	30.7	207,167
		Elizabeth Ryan	25.8	173,996
	Submit photo	James Derico Jr.	24.0	161,957
		Aileen Bhandari	19.5	131,949

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 675,069
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kelly Marie McCarthy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McCarthy'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 am an experienced trial attorney working for 17 years as a public defender. I have spent my career serving cook county residents with integrity and compassion. I have been found highly recommended, qualified or recommended by 12 bar associations. I am a breast cancer survivor, foster parent and mother of 2 boys.

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?

• Experience
• Integrity
• Compassion

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am a knowledgeable attorney and I look forward to serving as a fair and compassionate jurist.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

No

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

Integrity

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

Integrity Experience Compassion

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

To act honorably.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Respect for the judiciary

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

Being the first in my family to attend college it was a struggle to get my degree without coming from a wealthy background. Since then I have struggled to ensure there was fairness and equity in the legal system.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

To treat each person with respect and dignity.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I admire the many judges I have appeared before and learned from each.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is critical. Understanding people who may be different from yourself and being able to empathize is key. While you must follow the law, empathy will form how you treat those before you.

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

I have been rated highly recommended, recommended or qualified by 12 bar associations.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I have the knowledge and experience. But the main reason is that I will be fair to all sides and treat people with dignity and respect.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

No

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

The perception that the legal system isn't fair.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

Ability to listen.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

No

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Yes

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

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

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External links

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Candidate

Cook County Circuit Court

Facebook

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