Judges /
Judicial Elections
Every two years, Cook County voters go to the polls to elect new judges and decide whether to retain sitting judges. We research every judicial candidate and provide comprehensive, nonpartisan voter guides for each Cook County judicial election.
2024 Primary
Democratic Party’s slate sweeps countywide judicial races
In a primary with historically low turnout, the most controversial candidates in subcircuits lost out to those with stronger reviews from fellow lawyers.
Explainers
A project with impact
Our reporting on judicial elections and nonpartisan judicial voter guides have contributed to a significant increase in voter participation in judicial races.
More Judicial Elections
Name-change law used to target women running for judge
Ashonta C. Rice’s name was removed from the Cook County ballot under a 2007 law intended to prevent candidates from using name changes to deceive voters. She’s not the first, and some say the law has been used as a political weapon against female candidates instead.
A perennial candidate pins her hopes on her sixth run for judge
Deidre Baumann has spent more than a decade trying to become a Cook County judge. Here’s why she thinks this race, for a seat in the 7th Subcircuit, will be different.
In a hyper-local judicial race, questions about what counts as community representation
Judicial subcircuits were created to increase community representation. 30 years later, it is still unclear what representation means.
Where to find a print copy of our March 2024 Cook County judicial election guide
We printed 120,000 copies of our judicial election guide and are partnering with other newsrooms, community organizations, local businesses, and civic do-gooders to distribute them across Cook County.
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Past Election Guides
March 2024 Cook County judicial election guide
Injustice Watch’s comprehensive, nonpartisan guide to the 2024 Cook County judicial primary elections.
