Illinois Committee for Honest Government makes judicial endorsements

The Illinois Committee for Honest Government has announced its endorsements for the 2008 Primary.

That's a link to the Committee's website in the paragraph above -- but there's nothing there. I received an endorsement list and a press release today by email from Randall Sherman, the Secretary-Treasurer of the group.

The Committee announced endorsements in many races around the State from United States Senator to Chicago Ward Committeeman in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. The Committee did endorse Frank Avila for Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. I can't provide a membership list for the Committee, but I believe, based on researching the Committee today in the Illinois Newspapers database on Westlaw, that Mr. Avila's son, lawyer Frank B. Avila, is involved with the Committee.

According to the press release, "The Illinois Committee for Honest Government was founded in 1986, to support election reforms and to promote increased responsiveness in all levels and branches of government. The ICHG has been producing Cable-TV programs on the Chicago Access Network since October 1990 to help facilitate those goals and to provide opportunities for candidates and elected officials to be heard and seen by the voters." If anyone has additional information about the Committee or its make-up, feel free to leave a comment on this post.

In any event, herewith the endorsements of the Illinois Committee for Honest Government in Cook County Circuit Court contests:

Countywide vacancies

Dennis J. Burke (Disko vacancy)
Jesse G. Reyes (Glowacki vacancy)
Maureen Ward Kirby (Healy vacancy)
Marilyn F. Johnson (Keehan vacancy)
Thomas J. Byrne (Lott vacancy)
Thaddeus L. Wilson (Montelione vacancy)
Paula M. Lingo (Murphy vacancy)
Michael B. Hyman (Nowicki vacancy)
Joan Powell (Thomas vacancy)

Democratic Subcircuit endorsements

Laguina Clay-Clark (1st, Turkington vacancy)
William Edward Gomolinski (4th, Shultz vacancy)
Jackie Marie Portman (5th, Bush vacancy)
Stephen Stern (5th, “A” vacancy)
Maurico Araujo (6th, Figueroa vacancy)
Anita Rivkin-Carothers (7th, Young vacancy)
James A. Shapiro (8th, Sheehan vacancy)
Stephen F. Sidlowski (10th, Kowalski vacancy)
Diana L. Kenworthy (10th, Morrissey vacancy)
Joan Ellen Smuda (10th, Pucinski vacancy)
Pamela Elizabeth Loza (12th, Devlin vacancy)
Ann Catherine Brady (13th, Ryan vacancy)
Gary G. Stanton (13th, Tobin vacancy)
Michael Emmett McGinnis (15th, "A" vacancy)

Republican Subcircuit endorsements

Maureen H. Masterson-Pulia (4th, Shultz vacancy)
Laura J. Morask (12th, Devlin vacancy)
Guy M. Karm (13th, Ryan vacancy)
Cary J. Collins (13th, Tobin vacancy)
Peter Fera (15th, “A” vacancy)