There are currently 10 countywide vacancies. The Cook County Democratic Party chose another appointed judge for the ninth vacancy, leaving one to be filled by the highest rated alternate remaining from the 2022 election cycle.
All three Illinois Appellate Court justices pushed into 'up or out' positions by the Illinois Supreme Court's appointments to that court also received slating from the Cook County Democratic Party.
And the Supreme Court's choice to replenish its own ranks when Justice Anne M. Burke stepped down also received the Party's endorsement.
Appointed judges have always fared pretty well at slating time... but never as well as this.
The Cook County Democratic Party's choices for the 10 countywide vacancies on the Circuit Court are:
Note that this list does not specify the vacancy for which each of these persons was slated. It may or may not prove to be the case that the eight countywide judges got slated for the vacancies they presently hold.
- Neil Cohen,
- Arlene Coleman-Romeo,
- Debjani Desai,
- Deidre Dyer,
- Corinne Heggie,
- Sarah Johnson,
- James Murphy-Aguilu,
- Chloé Pedersen,
- Ed Underhill, and
- Jennifer Callahan
The Cook County Democratic Party also slated 10 alternates -- persons who would be 'pre-slated' to run for any new countywide vacancies that may occur before November 12 or during the special judicial filing period (from November 13 to December 4). There is no guarantee that any more vacancies will open; while in some cycles there have been several, there are others where none opened at all. However, 'pre-slated' alternates who do not run against the Party may have special claim on the Committeepersons in the 2026 election cycle.
Jennifer Callahan, for example, was the third slated alternate in 2022. An opening occurred during that election cycle for the first alternate, Judge Tracie Porter (she won that race). The second slated alternate in 2022, Marcia O'Brien Conway, ran for, and won, a 7th Subcircuit seat.
But this cycle brings a new wrinkle. Yolanda Sayre, slated in 2022, but unsuccessful, is the second slated alternate this time around. But -- as she told slatemakers Monday -- she is investigating a 5th Subcircuit race. Ordinarily, if an alternate enters a different race, for whatever reason, each person on the alternate list effectively moves up one slot. But not here. The Party has decided, in the event Sayre makes the subcircuit bid, that Ava George Stewart, who was slated as the sixth alternate, will skip ahead into the number two slot.
With that, here is the list of the alternates slated by the Cook County Democratic Party for countywide vacancies that may, and may not, open up in time for the 2024 primary:
For the Supreme Court, the Cook County Democratic Party chose to slate Justice Joy V. Cunningham over Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes.
- Pablo DeCastro
- Yolanda Sayre
- Steve McKenzie
- Andrea Belard
- Loveleen Ahuja
- Ava George Stweart
- Kevin Ochalla
- Antara Nath Rivera
- Risa Lanier
- Laura Lopez
For the Appellate Court, the Party voted to endorse each of the three Justices (Circuit Court Judges all, sitting on the Appellate Court pursuant to Supreme Court appointment) moved into 'up or out' slots, Justices Mary L. Mikva, Cynthia Y. Cobbs, and Carl A. Walker. Each was slated for the vacancy in which they now serve.
The Party also slated Judge Ramon Ocasio for the newly opened Delort vacancy. Ocasio currently serves as Acting Presiding Judge of the 4th Municipal District.
Four current Circuit Court judges were also slated by the Party for any Appellate Court vacancies that may open up between now and December 4. In order, these are Celia G. Gamrath, Judith C. Rice, William B. Sullivan, and Leonard Murray.
FWIW will have more about the Party's slating meeting in upcoming articles.
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