Illinois judicial elections summary, 2014

Illinois judicial elections, 2014
Overview
Total candidates:	302
Primary candidates:	141
General election candidates:	232
Incumbency
Incumbents:	176
Incumbent success rate:	98%
Competition - general election
Percent of candidates in contested races:	12%
Percent uncontested:	20%
Percent retention:	68%
Partisan victories
Republican	28
Democratic	32

2015 → ← 2013
Judicial Elections
Judicial elections, 2014
Judicial election dates
Candidates by state
Supreme court elections

Illinois judicial elections include both partisan elections and retention elections. In 2014, many judicial races in Illinois were decided in the primary election, as only one political party fielded candidates. In the general election, 46 candidates ran unopposed, while 29 faced opposition in contested races.

A total of 232 candidates appeared on the general election ballot, including 157 judges seeking retention. All were retained, though it was a narrow victory for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier.

For general election results, see: Illinois judicial elections, 2014.
For primary election results, see: Illinois judicial primary elections, 2014.

Interesting races

• Justice Lloyd Karmeier secured another term on the Illinois Supreme Court after a late campaign emerged urging voters to oppose his retention. The ads accused him of ruling in favor of big business after receiving $4 million from pro-business interests during his 2004 campaign. The campaign alleged he favored big business interests, citing $4 million in contributions from such groups during his 2004 election. Karmeier received 60.77% of the vote—just above the 60% threshold required for retention.

• Illinois' average rate of retention was 75.7%. In general, retention vote percentages were similar amongst judges of the same circuits. For example, all four of the judges in the Eleventh Circuit and all four in the Fifteenth Circuit were approved by over 80% of voters. On the other hand, judges of the First, Second, and Third Circuits all received less than 70%.
• Judge Harry E. Clem was retained with a vote of 80.1%.
• It was a tight race for the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court. Republican candidate Thomas M. O'Shaughnessy defeated Democrat Karen E. Wall by a 1.4% margin.
• The three incumbents that were defeated all lost during the primary election.

List of defeated incumbents

Name	Court
Alfred M. Swanson, Jr.	Cook Judicial Circuit Court - Arnold vacancy
Diana L. Embil	Cook County 15th Subcircuit - Doody, Jr. vacancy
Jerry A. Esrig	Cook Judicial Circuit Court - Goldberg vacancy
Kevin C. Kakac	Second Judicial Circuit Court - Harrison vacancy

See also

• Illinois judicial elections, 2014
• Illinois elections
• Portal:Judicial elections
• Judicial selection in Illinois
• Illinois

External links

• Illinois State Board of Elections