Harris ahead in race for Gordon vacancy on the Appellate Court

At the Cook County Democratic Party's slate-making meeting this past August, Appellate Court Justice Shelly A. Harris told the committeemen he did not want to run against the party.  But he made it clear that, if he wasn't slated, he would run.  "It's my seat and I've got to fight for it," he said.

Justice Harris wasn't slated.

And tonight, at least as this juncture, it looks like Justice Harris may be winning his fight tonight.

Judge Freddrenna M. Lyle, the slated candidate is leading in these late City numbers:

DEM - Appellate Court Judge (Vac of Gordon)

1782 out of 2069 precincts (86.13 %)

Shelly A. Harris	46,444	35.71 %
Susan Kennedy Sullivan	33,524	25.78 %
Freddrenna M. Lyle	50,088	38.51 %

But Justice Harris makes up this deficit and more in the latest suburban returns:

Appellate Court Judge (Vacancy of Gordon)
Registered Voters: 1,451,593	Vote For 1
Ballots Cast: 98,699	1,626 of 1,673 Precincts Reported
Turnout: 6.8%		%	Votes
Shelly A. Harris (Democratic)		40.35%	34,390
Susan Kennedy Sullivan (Democratic)		30.13%	25,679
Freddrenna M. Lyle (Democratic)		29.52%	25,159

The margin of only 5,600 votes is so close that I wouldn't dare say this race is over at this point.  There are lot more City precincts still to report than there are suburban ones.  But here is where things stand now.

In the race for the Steele vacancy on the Appellate Court, it does look like Justice John B. Simon, the Democratic Party's slated candidate, will prevail over Judge Sharon Oden Johnson.