Over 40 hopefuls present credentials at Cook County Democratic Party's judicial Pre-Slating meeting

Catching up, slowly but surely, on stories that accumulated during my recent vacation....

The Cook County Democratic Party has confirmed the identities of persons who appeared before the Party's Pre-Slating meeting on June 15 and 16.

Two prospective candidates have expressed interest in Party slating for the Burke vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court. These are Justice Joy V. Cunningham, who now holds the seat pursuant to appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court, and Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes.

Reyes was a candidate for the Supreme Court in 2020; Cunningham ran in 2012. Neither was slated by the Cook County Democratic Party in their previous Supreme Court campaigns.

Experience suggests that there will likely be more than two candidates for this vacancy in the March 2024 Democratic primary.

A total of seven candidates presented their credentials for the three known vacancies on the First District Appellate Court. All currently serve in the judiciary. Three, Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Mary L. Mikva, and Carl Anthony Walker, are Circuit Court judges sitting on the Appellate Court pursuant to Supreme Court assignment. But the assignments of Justices Cobbs and Mikva have been given termination dates -- December 2, 2024 -- meaning that, unless they run for, and win, election to the Appellate Court, they will return to the Circuit Court.

The other four prospective candidates seeking slating for the Appellate Court are all Circuit Court judges currently in leadership positions. In alphabetical order, these are Mary C. Marubio, the Acting Presiding Judge of the Pretrial Division of the Criminal Court; Leonard Murray, the Acting Suprevising Judge of the Housing Section in the 1st Municipal District; Ramon Ocasio III, the Acting Presiding Judge of the 4th Municipal District; and Rena Marie Van Tine, the Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division.

By FWIW's unofficial count, there are currently 10 countywide Circuit Court seats up for election in 2024. If there are not already more 10 vacancies, there will be.

Eight of those 10 vacancies have been temporarily filled by Supreme Court assignment. Unsurprisingly, all eight appeared at the Pre-Slating meeting in hopes of getting elected to those positions. The eight currently appointed judges are, in alphabetical order, Neil H. Cohen, Arlene Y. Coleman-Romero, Debjani D. Desai, Deidre M. Dyer, Corinne Cantwell Heggie, Sarah Rodak Johnson, Chloé G. Pedersen, and Edward J. Underhill.

As some past aspirants have learned to their sorrow, of course, getting appointed by the Supreme Court does not necessarily translate into slating by the Cook County Democratic Party. But it often works out that way; each of these eight judges hope to be among those who do get the nod.

Standing in their way, however, in addition to the 80 ward and township committeepersons who are charged with making the slate, are a host of other aspirants who made their claims to be slated at the Pre-Slating meeting. In alphabetical order, the candidates presenting their credentials for countywide vacancies are as follows:

1. Loveleen K. Ahuja, a Cook County Assistant Public Defender,
2. David Badillo, an attorney with the Illinois Commerce Commission,
3. Deidre Baumann, of Baumann & Shuldiner, and a candidate for countywide vacancies in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2022,
4. Andrea V. Belard, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services,
5. Daniel Calandriello, a solo practitioner from Palos Hills, a former Orland Park trustee, and the Democratic Party's nominee for the 17th Dist. seat on the Cook County Board in 2022 (he lost to incumbent Sean Morrison),
6. Jennifer Callahan, an AJ finalist earlier this year, a countywide candidate in 2020, and the Cook County Democratic Party's third alternate choice in 2022 for a countywide vacancy that never opened up,
7. Neil H. Cohen, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Mitchell vacancy,
8. Arlene Y. Coleman-Romero, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Maras vacancy,
9. Audrey Cosgrove, Deputy Counsel to the Illinois Lottery and an AJ finalist earlier this year,
10. Pablo deCastro, a Loop solo practitioner and also an AJ finalist earlier this year,
11. Debjani D. Desai, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Propes vacancy, an AJ finalist earlier this year, and the Democratic Party's 9th slated alternate in 2022,
12. Elizabeth C. Dibler, a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney,
13. Deidre M. Dyer, curreint serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Hubbard vacancy,
14. Joanne Fehn, an Illinois Assistant Attorney General, a countywide candidate in 2010, and the Democratic Party's 10th slated alternate in 2022,
15. Koula Founier, a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney who has also recently expressed interest in a 4th Subcircuit vacancy,
16. Ava George Stewart, an Assistant Lake County State's Attorney
17. Corinne Cantwell Heggie, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Gaughan vacancy and an AJ finalist earlier this year,
18. Natalie Howse, Regional Counsel with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and a former President of the Cook County Bar Association,
19. Sarah Rodak Johnson, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Haberkorn vacancy and an AJ finalist earlier this year,
20. Paul Joyce, a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney and a countywide candidate in 2022,
21. Laura Zamudio Lopez, a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney,
22. Kristen Marie Lyons, a Loop solo practitioner and a candidate for a 7th Subcircuit vacancy in 2020,
23. Mischelle Y. Luckett, who practices with the Luckett Law Group on Chicago's South Side,
24. Steve McKenzie, an Assistant Chicago Corporation Counsel and the Democratic Party's 7th slate alternate in 2022,
25. Jennifer Moriarty, an attorney with the Law Offices of Ronald R. Aeschliman,
26. James Murphy Aguilu, who was just appointed to a 10th Subcircuit vacancy by the Illinois Supreme Court and the Democratic Party's 6th slated alternate in 2022,
27. Antara Nath Rivera, an Arbitrator with the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission,
28. Ginger Odom, an attorney with the Office of the State Appellate Defender,
29. Chloé G. Pedersen, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment to the countywide Walker vacancy,
30. Ashonta Rice, a 15th Subcircuit candidate in 2018, and the Democratic Party's 10th slated alternate in 2020 and its 4th slated alternate in 2022,
31. Yolanda Sayre, slated by the Democratic Party for a countywide vacancy in 2022 after being the Party's 5th slated alternate in 2020, and
32. Edward J. Underhill, currently serving by Supreme Court appointment in the countywide Murphy vacancy.

Democratic Party sources confirmed that Peter McNamara, an attorney with the Chicago Transit Authority, registered for the Pre-Slating meeting, but did not attend.

The Pre-Slating meeting gives the Democratic Party committeepersons some idea as to what candidates may be considering judicial runs. There are surely others who are considering countywide bids. Some of these may appear for slating in August; some will bypass the process entirely.