With several crucial decisions facing the Illinois Supreme Court, drawing headlines and the Court's members being elected by district voters, who financially backed the candidates, bought ads, campaign collateral and paid staff for the campaigns is relevant and pertinent.
The only Illinois Supreme Court justice up for election or retention in the 2010 cycle was Illinois' 3rd District Thomas Kilbride, first elected in 2000. In order to be placed back on the Supreme Court, 60 percent of the district's voters had support Kilbride's retention. Of the 513,808 3rd District voters that expressed their opinion in the hotly contested race, 338,520 or 65.88% supported returning the newly-elected Chief Justice to the state's highest bench.
Kilbride received support from several Democratic candidates, construction labor unions, AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers and the most --$1,375,000 from the Illinois Democratic Party at the direction of House Speaker Michael Madigan -- Attorney General Lisa Madigan's father.
House Speaker Madigan was key in pushing through the now-stalled 96th General Assembly's HB 255, along with Senate President John Cullerton. The Democrat Party-backed governor and attorney general has filed appeals to the Supreme Court to overrule the lower appellate court's decision that HB 255 did not hold to the single subject rule.
Would the fact that key Democrats backed Kilbride have any effect on how the Court's Democratic majority is likely to side on HB 255's decision? We will soon find out.
Another crucial issue soon facing the Illinois Supreme Court will be the redistricting map that will determine Illinois political future.
How much did the Democrats contribute to Kilbride's retention? As published on the Illinois State Board of Elections website:
