Circuit Court Vacancies | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts
Current Circuit Court Vacancies
Judicial Vacancies for the 2026 Election
Primary Election will be held March 17, 2026 – General Election will be held November 3, 2026 – Terms of Office begin December 7, 2026.
These are for certified vacancies that occurred in the First Filing Period and updated with vacancies through December 1, 2025. Additional vacancies will be added once certified.
For Supreme and Appellate Court vacancies, please visit the State Board of Elections website.
Cook County Vacancies
|
Circuit
|
Type of
Judgeship
|
Subcircuit
|
Judicial Officer
|
Status
|
|
Cook
|
At Large
|
N/A
|
Paul A. Karkula
|
Retired 1/29/24
|
| Cook | At Large | N/A | Mary Ellen Coghlan | Retired 8/31/24 |
| Cook | At Large | N/A | William H. Hooks | Retired 7/4/24 |
| Cook | At Large | N/A | Cynthia Y. Cobbs | Elected to the Appellate Court on 12/2/24 |
| Cook | Resident | 1st | Carl A. Walker | Elected to the Appellate Court on 12/2/24 |
| Cook | Resident | 1st | Robert Balanoff | Retired 1/30/25 |
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
3rd
|
Thomas W. Murphy
|
Retired 7/2/24
*See note below
|
| Cook | Resident | 8th | Celia Gamrath | Appointed to the Appellate Court on 9/6/24 *See note below |
| Cook | Resident | 8th | Mary L. Mikva | Elected to the Appellate Court on 12/2/24 |
| Cook | Resident | 11th | Mary Colleen Roberts | Retired 12/31/24 *See note below |
| Cook | Resident | 11th | Pamela McLean Meyerson | Retired 1/31/25 |
| Cook | Resident | 13th | Martin C. Kelley | Deceased 11/28/24 |
| Cook | Resident | 13th | Shannon P. O'Malley | Resigned 11/30/24 |
| Cook | Resident | 13th | John. J. Curry, Jr. | Retired 5/9/25 |
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
16th
|
Callie L. Baird
|
Retired 4/15/24
*See note below
|
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
16th
|
Patricia Mendoza
|
Retired 7/31/24
*See note below
|
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
17th
|
Lloyd J. Brooks
|
Appointed Circuit Judge 4/29/24
*See note below
|
| Cook | Resident | 17th | James R. Carroll | Retired 10/15/24 *See note below |
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
18th
|
Jeffrey G. Chrones
|
Appointed Circuit Judge 4/29/24
*See note below
|
| Cook | Resident | 18th | Frank J. Andreou | Elected Circuit Judge 12/2/24 *See note below |
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
19th
|
John A. Fairman
|
Appointed Circuit Judge 4/29/24
*See note below
|
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
19th
|
Michael J. Kane
|
Retired 2/23/24
*See note below
|
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
20th
|
David E. Haracz
|
Retired 3/31/24
*See note below
|
|
Cook
|
Resident
|
20th
|
Stephanie K. Miller
|
Appointed Circuit Judge 4/29/24
*See note below
|
3rd Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
8th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
11th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
16th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
17th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
17th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
18th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
18th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
19th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
20th Subcircuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
Downstate Vacancies
|
Circuit
|
Type of
Judgeship
|
County or Subcircuit
|
Judicial Officer
|
Status
|
| 2nd | Resident | Richland | Ray W. Vaughn | Retiring 7/4/25 |
| 2nd | Resident | Wayne | Michael J. Molt | Retired 11/30/24 |
| 2nd | Resident | Edwards | Michael J. Valentine | Deceased 11/5/24 |
| 3rd | Resident | 2nd | Steven A. Stobbs | Retired 12/31/24 *See note below |
| 4th | At Large | N/A | Douglas L. Jarman | Retired 1/29/25 |
|
8th
|
At Large
|
N/A
|
Robert Adrian
|
Removed by Courts Commission
*See note below
|
| 8th | At Large | N/A | Amy Lannerd | Appointed to the Appellate Court on 9/18/24 |
|
10th
|
Resident
|
Peoria
|
John P. Vespa
|
Retired 07/31/24
*See note below
|
| 11th | Resident | Woodford | Charles M. Feeney | Retired 7/31/24 |
|
12th
|
Resident
|
1st
|
David M. Carlson
|
Retired 4/30/24
*See note below
|
| 12th | Resident | 3rd | John C. Anderson | Elected to the Appellate Court 12/2/24 |
| 12th | Resident | 5th | Barbara N. Petrungaro | Retiring 12/04/26 |
| 13th | At Large | N/A | Cynthia Raccuglia | Retired 2/28/25 |
| 14th | Resident | Rock Island | Linnea E. Thompson | Retiring 6/30/25 |
| 15th | Resident | Jo Daviess | Kevin J. Ward | Retiring 8/22/25 |
| 17th | Resident | 2nd | Eugene Doherty | Appointed to the Appellate Court on 8/8/24 *See note below |
| 18th | Resident | 4th | K Wilson | Retired 8/28/24 *See note below |
3rd Circuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f-13 - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
8th Circuit: This vacancy will be certified by the Courts Commission.
10th Circuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f-16(a) The at-large judgeship of John P. Vespa is converted and elected as a Peoria resident judgeship.
12th Circuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f-4 -The resident judgeship of David M. Carlson is re-alloted to Subcircuit 1.
17th Circuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f-6 - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.
18th Circuit: Pursuant to 705 ILCS 35/2f-18 - created by Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.