Late primary complicates evaluation process: Potential candidates take note

Moving next year's Illinois Primary from March to June 28 will have unintended consequences beyond trimming the length of some of next year's St. Patrick's Day parades.

For one thing, moving the primary another three months closer to the November general election will create severe time challenges for the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, according to Joyce Williams, Alliance Administrator.

Some candidates may be unknown to the bar groups before they file next March. And the Alliance will still have to conduct evaluations of the many judges seeking retention in November.

While the Alliance usually evaluates primary canndidates first, many of these candidates are as yet unknown while the identities of all potential retention candidates are already known. Therefore, for this election cycle, Williams advises that "the Alliance members have determined that we will begin our evaluation process this year with the retention class."

But the Alliance will continue to evaluate primary candidates where possible. Accordingly, anyone who is interested in running next year and who does not yet have Alliance ratings needs to advise the Alliance by downloading the candidate questionaire request application from the ISBA website. Yes, that's a link to the form.

Some persons may be exploring the idea but have not fully committed to a run. That's alright. Beginning the evaluation process does not force a person into making a run. Circulating petitions does not force a person into making a run. As a practical matter, in every election cycle, including the one now underway, there will be persons who file for judicial office -- and then withdraw. So even filing for office does not commit a person into making a run. If you are even thinking about making a run next year, let the Alliance know. Now.

With the primary in June, it seems unduly alarmist to suggest that time is already short. But, as Williams told FWIW, "Candidates also need to know that the Alliance does not expedite its evaluation process to meet slating deadlines." It may already be too late for first-time candidates to secure ratings before the slatemakers meet in December. And it is long since too late for first-time candidates to secure ratings before the Democratic Party's pre-slating meetings on October 14 and 15 -- but first time candidates can expect to be asked, by the slatemakers, if they've initiated the process.

So initiate already.