# 2020 Illinois judicial elections

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The 2020 Illinois judicial elections consisted of both partisan and retention elections, including those for three seats on the Supreme Court of Illinois and 10 seats in the Illinois Appellate Court. Primary elections were held on March 17, 2020, and the general election was held on November 3, 2020. These elections were part of the 2020 Illinois elections.

## Supreme Court of Illinois

Justices of the Supreme Court of Illinois are elected by district. Two seats will be holding partisan elections, while another will be holding a retention election. On the Supreme Court of Illinois, seats occupied by previously elected justices will see retention elections, while races with justices not previously elected (whether the seat is vacant or filled by an appointee) will see competitive partisan elections.
The court has seven seats total separated into five districts. The first district, representing Cook County, contains three seats, making it a multi-member district, while other four districts are single-member districts. Justices hold ten year terms.

### 1st district

One of the three seats from the 1st district is up for a partisan election. Incumbent P. Scott Neville Jr. was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Charles E. Freeman. This is a regularly-scheduled election (Freeman's term would have ended in December 2020).

#### Democratic primary

Supreme Court of Illinois 1st district Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | P. Scott Neville Jr. (incumbent) | 214,066 | 26.25 |
| | Democratic | Jesse G. Reyes | 165,344 | 20.27 |
| | Democratic | Shelly A. Harris | 123,166 | 15.10 |
| | Democratic | Cynthia Y. Cobbs | 103,497 | 12.69 |
| | Democratic | Margaret Stanton McBride | 101,475 | 12.44 |
| | Democratic | Daniel Epstein | 66,762 | 8.19 |
| | Democratic | Nathaniel R. Howse | 41,205 | 5.05 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 815,515 | |

#### Republican primary

No candidates were included on the ballot in the Republican primary. While an official write-in candidate did run, he did not receive a sufficient number of votes to win nomination.
Results
Supreme Court of Illinois 1st district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Write-in | Richard Mayers | 22 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 22 | 100 |

#### General election

Supreme Court of Illinois 1st district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | P. Scott Neville Jr. (incumbent) | 1,765,329 | 100 |
| | Write-in | Richard Mayers | 31 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,765,360 | 100 |

### 5th district

Lloyd Karmeier, a Republican, retired on December 6, 2019, leaving the seat vacant until the election. This is a regularly-scheduled election (Karmeier's term would have ended in December 2020). Three members of the Illinois Appellate Court from the 5th district chose to run; John B. Barberis Jr, Judy Cates, and David K. Overstreet.

#### Democratic primary

Supreme Court of Illinois 5th district Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Judy Cates | 85,117 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 85,117 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Supreme Court of Illinois 5th district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | David K. Overstreet | 77,438 | 76.51 |
| | Republican | John B. Barberis Jr. | 23,777 | 23.49 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 101,215 | |

#### General election

Supreme Court of Illinois 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | David K. Overstreet | 388,129 | 62.52 |
| | Democratic | Judy Cates | 232,722 | 37.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 620,851 | 100 |

### Retention elections

The 3rd district seat was held by Thomas L. Kilbride, a Democrat first elected to the Supreme Court in 2000.
In the 2nd district, Robert R. Thomas, a Republican, was scheduled to have retention election. However, he retired February 29, 2020. On March 1, 2020, Michael J. Burke assumed his seat, and will hold it until a special election in 2022.
To be retained, judges are required to have 60% of their vote be "yes". Kilbride did not reach that mark and only receiving approximately 57% of the vote. He is the first justice of the Illinois Supreme Court to lose retention vote in the history of the state.
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Vote | Vote |
| District | Party | Party | Name | In office since | Previous years elected/retained | Yes (Retain) | No (Remove) |
| 3rd | | Democratic | Thomas L. Kilbride | December 4, 2000 | 2000 (elected), 2010 (retained) | 452,142 (56.52%) | 347,812 (43.48%) |

## Illinois Appellate Court

Illinois Appellate Court justices hold ten-year terms.

### 1st district (1st division)

Incumbent John C. Griffin was appointed in May 2018 following the retirement of John B. Simon. This is a special election for a four-year term, as Simon's term would not have ended until 2024. Griffin ran for reelection, but was unseated in the Democratic primary by Sharon Oden-Johnson.

#### Democratic primary

Illinois Appellate Court 1st district (1st division) Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sharon Oden-Johnson | 395,022 | 52.44 |
| | Democratic | John C. Griffin (incumbent) | 358,226 | 47.56 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 753,248 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

The Republican primary was cancelled. No candidates had filed.

#### General election

Illinois Appellate Court 1st district (1st division) election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sharon O. Johnson | 1,603,179 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,603,179 | 100 |

### 1st district (3rd division)

Incumbent Michael Hyman was appointed in 2018 to fill the vacancy left when P. Scott Neville Jr. resigned this seat to assume a seat on the Supreme Court of Illinois. He was elected outright.

#### Democratic primary

Illinois Appellate Court 1st district (3rd division) Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Michael B. Hyman (incumbent) | 273,898 | 35.51 |
| | Democratic | Sandra Gisela Ramos | 207,989 | 26.96 |
| | Democratic | Maureen Patricia O'Leary | 159,423 | 20.67 |
| | Democratic | Carolyn Gallagher | 130,067 | 16.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 771,377 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

No candidates were included on the ballot in the Republican primary. While an official write-in candidate did run, he did not receive a sufficient number of votes to win nomination.
Results
Illinois Appellate Court 1st district (3rd division) Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Write-in | Richard Mayers | 21 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21 | 100 |

#### General election

Illinois Appellate Court 1st district (3rd division) election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Michael Hyman (incumbent) | 1,633,319 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,633,319 | 100 |

### 5th district

Incumbent Mark M. Boie was appointed on May 1, 2019.

#### Democratic primary

Illinois Appellate Court 5th district Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sarah Smith | 84,509 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 84,509 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Illinois Appellate Court 5th district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark M. Boie (incumbent) | 52,619 | 54.4 |
| | Republican | Katherine Ruocco | 44,011 | 45.55 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 96,630 | |

#### General election

Illinois Appellate Court 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark M. Boie (incumbent) | 367,036 | 59.86% |
| | Democratic | Sarah Smith | 246,166 | 40.14% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 613,202 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Retention elections

To be retained, judges are required to have 60% of their vote be "yes".
| District | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Vote | Vote | Cite |
| District | Party | Party | Name | In office since | Previous years elected/retained | Yes (Retain) | No (Remove) | Cite |
| 1st | | Democratic | Aurelia Marie Pucinski | December 6, 2010 | 2010 (elected) | 1,406,831 (77.37%) | 411,550 (22.63%) | |
| 1st | | Democratic | Mary Katherine Rochford | December 6, 2010 | 2010 (elected) | 1,276,378 (75.40)% | 416,477 (24.60)% | |
| 2nd | | Republican | Ann B. Jorgensen | July 2008 | 2010 (elected) | 1,090,351 (80.97%) | 256,183 (19.03%) | |
| 2nd | | Republican | Mary S. Schostok | August 2008 | 2010 (elected) | 1,061,303 (80.01%) | 265,164 (19.99%) | |
| 3rd | | Democratic | Mary McDade | December 4, 2000 | 2000 (elected), 2010 (retained) | 580,382 (76.10%) | 182,318 (23.90%) | [5][21][22] [23] |
| 5th | | Republican | Thomas M. Welch | December 1, 1980 | 1980 (elected), 1990, 2000, 2010 (retained) | 416,928 (75.37%) | 136,244 (24.63%) | |

## Lower courts

Lower courts also saw judicial elections.