New countywide judicial candidates

Only one new candidate for the Appellate Court filed since the post here Sunday. Judge William D. O'Neal, who was first elected to the Circuit Court from the 2nd Subcircuit in 1992, filed for the Tully vacancy Monday. He's run for the Appellate Court before, including bids in 2008 and 2010.

Filing Monday to oppose Michael A. Forti and Jessica A. O'Brien for the countywide Simmons vacancy was James A. Wright. That's a link to Wright's campaign website in the preceding sentence; a link has also been added to the sidebar. An Illinois attorney since 1989, Wright worked as a CPA before attending law school. He has served as Inspector General of the Illinois Tollway and later as Executive Inspector General of the State of Illinois.

A sixth candidate filed for the countywide Ward vacancy on Monday. Brian J. Stephenson, an Illinois attorney since 1988, appears to be making his first bid for judicial office, but he was the Democratic nominee for the 41st District of the Illinois State House in 2010.

There are now eight candidates vying for the countywide Stewart vacancy. I mentioned the four initial filers in this post and two subsequent filers in this post. Assistant Public Defender Debra A. Seaton joined the fray on Monday. This will be Seaton's second bid for judicial office; she also sought a countywide vacancy in 1998.

Also filing Monday was Steve Demitro. That's a link to Demitro's campaign website; a link has been added to the sidebar. Demitro has been an Illinois attorney since 2000.

There are two attorneys in Illinois named Carlos Vazquez, father and son I presume, who share offices on W. Division. One was licensed in 1986; the other was licensed in 2004. One of them filed to oppose Michael Tully Mullen and Judge Caroline Kate Moreland for the countywide Stralka vacancy. Hopefully an FWIW reader will provide information about this new candidate.

Finally, there are two new candidates for the O'Mara Frossard vacancy. Rodrick F. Wimberly has been an Illinois attorney since 1995. He has his own firm, Rodrick F. Wimberly & Associates. Wimberly may be the only ordained minister running for judge this year. According to his campaign website, Wimberly serves as a minister at the Apostolic Church of God and as "co-facilitator of the Apostolic Church of God's Legal Ministry."

The other new candidate for the O'Mara Frossard vacancy is Gwendolyn D. Bayless. According to ARDC, Bayless has been an Illinois attorney since 1992 and is self-employed.