Challenges in Supreme Court, two Appellate Court races

So far.

"So far" being an important qualifier here. After all, filing merely opened up this morning. Petitions can come in for another week yet.

After the enormous crush in the morning when the doors open at the Illinois State Board of Elections, things do tend to settle down for awhile.

It works out this way because all those deemed in line when the doors opened at 8:00 a.m. this morning were treated as if they'd filed their papers at the exact same time -- the aforementioned 8:00 a.m. -- and, in races where multiple candidates were considered to have filed at the same time, they will be sorted out in a lottery to determine who gets the top ballot line.

And everyone wants the top ballot line because there is an electoral 'bump' associated with that position.

But, just because a candidate is unopposed now, it does not mean that said candidate will face no primary opposition. But... should one or more file against said currently-unopposed candidate, the latecomers will be listed on the ballot... pending the outcome of any ballot challenges, of course... in the order in which their petitions were received.

Does that sound needlessly complicated? It's supposed to....

Anyway -- so far -- the 1st Distict Supreme Court race is currently set up as a one-on-one contest between Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham, who was appointed to the position by the Supreme Court, and Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes.

It might be very interesting if no one else files in this race. But history suggests that this field will eventually become more crowded.

There are four Appellate Court vacancies in Cook County. Three have been filled by the Supreme Court. Two of these candidates, Justices Mary Lane Mikva and Carl Anthony Walker, have no opponents... so far. Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher has filed to run against Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs for the Cunningham vacancy; Judge Leonard Murray has filed to run against the Democratic Party's slated candidate for the Delort vacancy, Judge Celia Louise Gamrath.

Again, history suggests that every one of these races may become more crowded before the filing period closes.

It should be noted that each of the persons above named has filed for the Democratic Primary. No Republican candidates have filed for any of these offices.