Michael Zink

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

Michael Zink

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 19, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2001

Law

DePaul University College of Law, 2004

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Michael Zink (Democratic Party) ran for election for the 20th Subcircuit judge of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 19, 2024.

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

Biography

Michael Zink earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2001 and a law degree from DePaul University College of Law in 2004. His 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 20th Subcircuit

Nadine Jean Wichern won election in the general election for Cook County Circuit Court 20th Subcircuit on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nadine Jean Wichern (D)	100.0	98,236

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 98,236
= 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 20th Subcircuit

Nadine Jean Wichern defeated Michael Zink, Nickolas Pappas, and John Poulos in the Democratic primary for Cook County Circuit Court 20th Subcircuit on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nadine Jean Wichern	51.0	21,524
		Michael Zink	23.1	9,764
	Submit photo	Nickolas Pappas	21.8	9,213
	Submit photo	John Poulos	4.1	1,719

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,220
= 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 Zink in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Zink completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zink'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.

After a lifetime of activism, community leadership, and wielding the power of the law to protect the least amongst us, I am ready to continue my passion for public service by running for Judge in the 20th Subcircuit of Cook County. Not only do I have significantly more experience litigating in Circuit Court than my opponents, but I also am the only candidate to declare boldly my dedication to rejecting the implicit bias that is rooted in our judicial system. I currently serve as a Partner at Starr, Bejgiert, Zink & Rowells, where my practice is directed towards tenants’ rights and independent landlord support. I frequently assist first-time property owners, nearly all of whom are people of color, aiding them in preserving their homes and establishing generational wealth in historically underserved communities. Each interaction in my office begins with a simple yet powerful question: “How can we keep people housed?”

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 am dedicated to promoting a legal system that operates equally for all, delivering justice and offering the opportunity for rehabilitation.
• I am humbled to have received the endorsement of virtually every elected official serving within this subcircuit. My endorsements include: Congressperson Jan Schakowsky, Congressperson Mike Quigley, IL State Senate President Don Harmon, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz, State Senator Mike Simmons, State Representative Margaret Croke, State Representative Ann Williams, Alderperson Angela Clay,

  Alderperson Bennett Lawson, Alderperson Timmy Knudsen, Alderperson Matt Martin, Alderperson Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Committeeperson Harry Osterman, Committeperson Maggie O'Keefe, Committeeperson Paul Rosenfeld and

  Committeeperson Tom Tunney.
• I firmly believe in the importance of rejecting the implicit bias that is rooted in our judicial system and of understanding the disproportionate impact of the judicial system on people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those facing poverty, addiction, and mental health issues.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

While I am very passionate about politics and the way that government shapes our lives, my role as Judge would be to hear arguments without inserting personal bias and make impartial rulings based on the facts, as stated, in any particular case.

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

For any elected official to find true success, their driving force must be an unwavering passion for public service and a strong sense of empathy toward their constituents and colleagues, despite differences they may have.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a union stock clerk at Osco Drug (UFCW-Local 880) and as a clerk at the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce.

During the summer after my first year of law school, I juggled three jobs to finance my legal education. That summer I served an internship at the Office of U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin, served an additional internship as a government watchdog at the Citizen Advocacy Center, and continued to work as a member of UFCW-Local 880 as a stock clerk at Osco Drug. I later clerked at Asher, Gittler, Greenfield & D’Alba, one of America’s leading law firms representing unions and workers, clerked at Romanucci & Blandin, among the nation’s top law firms in representing the catastrophically injured, and interned at the Illinois Department of Labor. These experiences provided me with invaluable insights into government, advocacy, and labor policy.

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

I believe it is the little-known responsibility of Judges to take steps to improve public understanding of the Courts. One obvious way to do so is to make outreach to discuss what happens in a courtroom, such as participating at a community meeting to discuss proper etiquette and demeanor in a courtroom. This would not require a judge to take any position on any issue, and it would also humanize the judiciary for the public.

The judiciary should also attend public functions in which they can speak publicly about the general role of judges. This should start with visits to engage students at all law schools and at all school grade levels, especially in underprivileged communities. This again would make the community more comfortable around judges and with the court system, and it would also likely increase judges’ ability to meaningfully empathize with the litigants who appear before them.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

My general judicial philosophy is that every case has a distinct set of facts, that those facts must

be considered, and that those facts must be reasonably applied to the law. In implementing that
philosophy, it is important to reject the implicit bias that is rooted in our judicial system and to
understand the disproportionate impact of the judicial system on people of color, LGBTQ+
individuals, and those facing poverty, addiction, and mental health issues. I believe that this
approach promotes a legal system that operates equally for all, delivering justice and

offering the opportunity for rehabilitation.

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

It is extremely important.

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

Listed below are all reviews I have received from Bar Associations that have released their findings in this cycle thus far:

Cook County Bar Association - "Recommended"

Advocates Society - "Endorsed & Recommended"

Illinois State Bar Association - "Qualified"

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois - "Qualified"

The Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois - "Recommended"

Chicago Council of Lawyers - "Qualified"

Arab American Bar Association of Illinois - "Recommended"

Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. - "Recommended"

Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area - “Recommended”

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois - “Recommended”

The Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago - “Recommended”

Chicago Bar Association - “Qualified”

Decalogue Society of Lawyers - "Recommended"

Women's Bar Association of Illinois - "Recommended"

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Endorsements of my candidacy include:

PersonalPAC
Chicago Federation of Labor
IVI-IPO
Local 134 Chicago - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Local 399 - International Union of Operating Engineers
Local 700 - Teamsters
The Coalition PAC
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
Congressman Mike Quigley
IL State Senate President Don Harmon
State Senator Sara Feigenholtz
State Senator Mike Simmons
State Representative Margaret Croke
State Representative Ann Williams
Alderperson Bennett Lawson
Alderperson Angela Clay
Alderperson Timmy Knudsen
Alderperson Matt Martin
Alderperson Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth
Committeeperson Tom Tunney
Committeeperson Harry Osterman
Committeeperson Paul Rosenfeld

Committeeperson Maggie O'Keefe

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

2024 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 20th 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