Lottery results in the Supreme Court race, contested Appellate Court vacancies

(Links are to candidate websites, where known.)

Ballot order was determined today by the Illinois State Board of Elections for the race to succeed Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald on the Illinois Supreme Court and in four of the six contests for seats on the First District on the Illinois Appellate Court. (One of the other two vacancies just opened up, the other is uncontested.)

Justice Mary Jane Theis (who was appointed to the Supreme Court to succeed Justice Fitzgerald) drew the top ballot position. Appellate Court Justice Aurelia Pucinski has the second position, while Appellate Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham wound up in the third position.

Attorney Thomas W. Flannigan has the fourth position on the ballot. Former Appellate Court Justice John P. Tully will be the fifth candidate on the ballot. Attorney Tom Courtney would be the last candidate on the ballot in this race. An Illinois attorney since 2000, Courtney is a Chicago resident who practices with the Palos Heights firm of Thomas F. Courtney & Associates. Courtney is making his first bid for judicial office; he was a candidate for 27th Ward Alderman earlier this year.

Objections have been filed to both Tully's and Courtney's nominating petitions.

Circuit Court Judge James Gerard Riley filed as a Republican in this race. Judge Riley, the Supervising Judge of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, is the only Republican to file for any Cook County judicial vacancy.

Here is the ballot order in the four contested Appellate Court races:

Johnson Coleman vacancy

• Nathaniel Roosevelt Howse, Jr.
• Kathleen G. Kennedy (Objection Pending)

Gallagher vacancy

• Patrick J. Sherlock
• P. Scott Neville, Jr.
• Marguerite Anne Quinn

O'Brien vacancy

• Jesse G. Reyes
• Rodolfo (Rudy) Garcia (Objection Pending)
• William Stewart Boyd (Objection Pending)
• Ellen L. Flannigan
• Don R. Sampen

Tully vacancy

• Terrence J. Lavin
• William D. O'Neal (Objection Pending)