Race for Illinois Supreme Court has Curran ahead, Rochford claiming victory

A Lake County judge claimed victory Wednesday in the three-way race for the Democratic nominee for the Illinois Supreme Court seat representing McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, Kendall and Lake counties.

Elizabeth Rochford had 41,645 votes, or 44% of those cast, according to unofficial results from the five counties. Those results do not include provisionally cast or late-arriving, mail-in ballots.

Her opponents were Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rodkin Rotering, who had 26,817 votes, and Kane County Judge Rene Cruz, who received 25,320 votes.

On the Republican ballot, former Lake County Sheriff and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Curran was leading with 31,324 votes, or 30% of votes cast in the four-way race. Lake County Judge Daniel B. Shanes followed with 29,797 votes, or 28% of the total vote.

They were followed by Kane County Judge John A. Noverini with 23,016 votes and Appellate Court Judge Susan F. Hutchinson with 21,760, according to the unofficial totals.

Rochford claimed victory in a news release Wednesday where she thanked the voters.

“It is humbling to see my message of increasing diversity in the courts and expanding access to justice resonate with so many,” she said in the release.

The Illinois Supreme Court will have two seats on the November ballot, one in the 2nd District and the other in the 3rd, which were redrawn as part of the state’s redistricting process. The 2nd District went from encompassing 13 counties to five.

It is not often there are seats open on the state’s highest bench, Rochford said in the release Wednesday. Illinois Supreme Court judges serve 10-year terms and then must win retention votes with at least 60% of all votes cast.

The winner in November for the 2nd District would fill the vacancy of Judge Robert Carter, whose term ends in December.