Chicago Federation of Labor announces endorsements in Cook County judicial races

The Chicago Federation of Labor has announced its endorsements for the forthcoming June 28 primary. The complete list of endorsements, for judicial and non-judicial offices alike, is here.

In countywide judicial races, in recent years, the CFL has typically followed along with most of the Cook County Democratic Party's endorsements. Most, but not all.

This year is no exception. While the CFL has echoed the Democratic Party's endorsement of Judge Dominique C. Ross for the Hall vacancy on the Appellate Court, it has bypassed Judge John H. Ehrlich, the Party's endorsed candidate, in favor of Judge Raymond W. Mitchell for the Harris vacancy.

In countywide Circuit Court races, the CFL has endorsed:

• Howard B. Brookins, Jr. (Brennan vacancy),
• Diana López (Cannon vacancy),
• Thomas Nowinski (Hyman vacancy),
• Rena Marie Van Tine (Leeming vacancy),
• Michael Weaver (Lynch vacancy),
• Ruth Isabel Gudino (McGury vacancy), and
• Araceli R. De La Cruz (O'Brien vacancy).

Each of these seven candidates was also endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party.

However, the CFL bypassed Judge Tracie Porter, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate, in favor of Mary Bernadette McMahon for the Callahan vacancy. The Party's endorsed candidate for the Sullivan vacancy, Judge Thomas M. Donnelly, was passed over in favor of Claudia Silva-Hernandez.

Also, while there was no explicit proclamation of neutrality in the race for the Ingram vacancy, no endorsement for that contest is included in the CFL's list. Elizabeth "Beth" Ryan had the CFL's endorsement in the 2020 race but neither Ryan nor the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate in this race, Yolanda Harris Sayre, has been endorsed at this point.

In contested subcircuit races the CFL has made the following endorsements:

• John W. Wilson (1st Subcircuit, Johnson vacancy),


• Amanda Moira Pillsbury (4th Subcircuit, Gavin vacancy),
• Shawn Te Raines-Welch (4th Subcircuit, Rogers vacancy),


• David L. Kelly (5th Subcircuit, Portman-Brown vacancy),
• Timothy W. Wright III (5th Subcircuit, Shelley vacancy),


• Kerrie Maloney Laytin (6th Subcircuit, Vega vacancy),


• Marcia O'Brien Conway (7th Subcircuit, Martin vacancy),


• Pat Casey (8th Subcircuit, Gordon vacancy),


• Sanjay Tailor (9th Subcircuit, Cleveland vacancy),
• Barry Goldberg (9th Subcircuit, Jacobius vacancy),


• Chris Taliaferro (11th Subcircuit, McGuire vacancy),


• James "Jack" Costello (13th Subcircuit, Groebner vacancy),


• Viviana Martinez (14th Subcircuit, Jagielski vacancy), and


• Jim Gleffe (15th Subcircuit, Lawler vacancy).

For the record, the CFL also endorsed Charles "Charlie" Beach in his uncontested 6th Subcircuit race and also Iris Y. Chavira in her uncontested 14th Subcircuit bid.

The CFL officially proclaimed its neutrality in the race for the Lipscomb vacancy in the 8th Subcircuit.