Maria McCarthy

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Maria McCarthy

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Prospect High School

Law

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Maria McCarthy (Republican Party) ran for election for the 12th Subcircuit judge of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

McCarthy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Maria McCarthy earned a high school diploma from Prospect High School and a law degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Her career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2024)

General election

General election for Cook County Circuit Court 12th Subcircuit

Alon Stein defeated Maria McCarthy in the general election for Cook County Circuit Court 12th Subcircuit on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alon Stein (D)	55.0	62,476
		Maria McCarthy (R)	45.0	51,162

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 113,638
= 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 12th Subcircuit

Alon Stein advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 12th Subcircuit on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alon Stein	100.0	17,214

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,214
= 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 12th Subcircuit

Maria McCarthy advanced from the Republican primary for Cook County Circuit Court 12th Subcircuit on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maria McCarthy	100.0	6,899

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,899
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McCarthy in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Maria McCarthy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. 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 grew up in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an undergraduate student and Chicago-Kent School of Law.

I worked as an assistant state’s attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for 30 years. I supervised the Homicide/Sex Unit in Chicago and the Domestic Violence Division. From 2009 to 2019, I was the Supervisor of the state’s attorney’s office at the Third Municipal District, where I oversaw the prosecution of all felony and misdemeanor cases from approximately 25 northwest suburbs of Chicago. While in that office, I litigated over 1000 trials and motions. Some of the more complex murder cases I tried have been profiled on Dateline NBC, Oxygen Network and ID Channel.

I subsequently worked as the First Assistant (second in command) in the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office where I supervised the Criminal and Civil Bureaus. In 2022, I was appointed Special Prosecutor in older murder cases that are pending in Will County. I also worked for Freeborn & Peters in Chicago, where I defended companies in civil litigation.

In 2020, I was inducted as a Fellow in The American College of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers whom the College believes have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism

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 have spent my career seeking justice and will continue to do so as a judge: Twenty years ago, I left the state’s attorney’s office to practice civil litigation. I came back to the state’s attorney’s office at a sizable pay cut because the work was not nearly as meaningful as seeking the truth and justice. I will work hard to ensure that justice prevails as a judge.
• Good judgment comes from experience: I have prosecuted serial murderers, gang leaders, serial rapists and every other type of violent criminal. I have successfully tried cold case murders that were 45, 37 and 20 years old. I have extensive experience with forensic experts in DNA, fingerprints, firearms, cell tower analysis, pathology, water deaths, trace evidence and blood spatter. Good judgment is critical to being an effective judge and only comes from extensive and wide-ranging experience. No other candidate for circuit court judge has more experience than I have in the courtroom.
• I have and will continue to treat all people with fairness and respect: Having appeared in front of hundreds of judges in thousands of cases, I have experienced judges who berate and humiliate attorneys and parties. The result is that neither side is happy when their case is assigned to that judge, no matter how fair the outcome might be. I intend to be the type of judge before whom both sides want to appear because they know that I will be prepared, fair to both sides and will treat everyone with respect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe that citizens speak through their legislators, and that unless a law is found to be unconstitutional, a judge should follow the law rather than decide which laws should and should not be enforced. I also believe strongly in the burden of proof and the defendant’s right to a fair trial. It should never be easy to convict someone of a crime given that, unlike in civil law, a person’s liberty is at stake. Finally, the rights afforded the citizens of this country by the Bill of Rights, such as the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, should always be zealously protected.

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

Integrity - As a prosecutor, my only goal was to do the right thing every day in every case, and I will continue to do so as a judge. I will always consider both sides. I would never base a decision on who appears before me or how a decision may help or hurt my career. My decisions will be based solely on the evidence and the law.

Work Ethic – I have always worked hard to be fully prepared in every aspect of my work, both in and out of the courtroom, and I will have the same high standards as a judge. The parties, lawyers and citizens of Cook County deserve a judge who takes the time to fully understand the issues in a case and the applicable law before making a decision.

Fairness – I am a fierce supporter of the protections afforded suspects by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. One of the things that I love about being a prosecutor is that it allows me to wear both hats: I can vigorously pursue justice on behalf of victims of crime while also zealously protecting the constitutional rights of the defendant.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Most people know that a judge finds defendants guilty or not guilty and that they impose sentences. However, a fairly large part of a judge’s duties involves determining the admissibility of evidence. The rules of evidence are complex, and it is up to the judge to decide which evidence a jury will hear. For example, judges make critical decisions on whether evidence is inadmissible hearsay, too prejudicial or not relevant to the charges.

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

I was rated “Highly Qualified” by the Chicago Bar Association. Only 4 out of 61 Cook County circuit court judicial candidates received a “Highly Qualified” rating.

I was rated “Highly Recommended” by the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and “Qualified” or “Recommended” by all of the remaining Bar Associations: Illinois State Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Arab American Bar Association, Asian Bar Association, Black Men Lawyer’s Association, Black Women Lawyer’s Association, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Hellenic Bar Association, Hispanic Lawyer’s Association and Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

While I have loved being an advocate, I now want to be the person making the decisions. I am very comfortable making difficult decisions in stressful situations. I have always considered both sides and I believe that my extensive experience makes me extremely qualified to be a judge.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by:

• 27 retired Cook County Judges
• 13 retired Chiefs of Police in the northwest suburbs
• The North Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police
• 3 retired Directors of the Major Case Assistance Team (the northwest suburban murder task force)
• The Hellenic American Police Association
• Metropolitan Alliance of Police Mount Prospect

Police Chapter 84*

• Mount Prospect Police Sergeants Chapter 85
• Metropolitan Alliance of Police Wheeling Sergeants Chapter #781
• Elgin Police Benevolent and Protective Association
• Sean Morrison, Chairman, Cook County Republican Party

• Northfield, Palatine and Wheeling Township Republican Organizations

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See also

2024 Elections

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Cook County Circuit Court 12th 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