Indo-American Democratic Organization announces Cook County Judicial endorsements

Ram Villivalam, the President of the Indo-American Democratic Organization wrote in this week to advise of the IADO's endorsements in Cook County judicial races. Here is a list of IADO's judicial endorsements (not in ballot order):

• Alex Gillespie (Countywide, Howlett, Jr. vacancy)
• Devlin J. Schoop (Countywide, Karnezis vacancy)
• Daniel Patrick Duffy (Countywide, Ruscitti-Grussel vacancy)
• John Fitzgerald Lyke, Jr. (Countywide, Biebel, Jr. vacancy)
• Alison C. Conlon (Countywide, Hogan vacancy)
• Rossana Patricia Fernandez (Countywide, Elrod vacancy)
• Maureen O'Donoghue Hannon (Countywide, O'Brien vacancy)
• Brendan A. O'Brien (Countywide, Love vacancy)
• Fred H. Bates (Countywide, Walsh vacancy)
• Sean S. Chaudhuri (Countywide, Johnson vacancy)
• Pat Heneghan (Countywide, Palmer vacancy)
• Anthony E. Simpkins (1st Subcircuit, Hopkins vacancy)
• Maryam Ahmad (1st Subcircuit, Brim vacancy)
• Robin Denise Shoffner (5th Subcircuit, Williams vacancy)
• Patricia "Pat" S. Spratt (7th Subcircuit, Rivkin-Carothers vacancy)
• Jerry Esrig (9th Subcircuit, Berman vacancy)
• Eve Marie Reilly (10th Subcircuit, Howard vacancy)
• Carrie Hamilton (12th Subcircuit, Tristano vacancy)
• James Edward Hanlon, Jr. (12th Subcircuit, "A" vacancy)
• Ketki "Kay" Steffen (13th Subcircuit - Fecarotta, Jr. vacancy)
• Eileen O'Neill Burke (Illinois Appellate Court, Epstein vacancy)
• Bertina E. Lampkin (Illinois Appellate Court, Quinn vacancy)

The reader will note, of course, that some races, all of them contested, countywide races, are bold-faced on the IADO endorsement list. Villivalam explained that these are races in which the IADO is taking a special interest, and placing particular emphasis. He particularly stressed the IADO's enthusiastic support of Sean Chaudhuri's bid for the countywide Johnson vacancy: "He is extremely qualified for the position of Cook County Judge," Villivalam wrote in an email to FWIW. "The fact that Sean received the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Award from the Chicago Bar Association for, among a number of career accomplishments, his years of service with Apna Ghar, the nonprofit domestic violence organization for women in the Asian American community, speaks volumes about his commitment to equity and fairness."

The reader will also note that the IADO endorsements follow Democratic Party endorsements pretty much down the line -- entirely so in countywide races. In the race for the 7th Subcircuit Rivkin-Carothers vacancy, however, the IADO has departed from the local committeemen by endorsing Judge Patricia "Pat" Spratt.