Gavel Grab

An election contest for the 5th District Appellate Court in Illinois is shaping up as a potentially big-money race.

The campaign committee of Democrat Judy Cates received almost $50,000 in the finance reporting period that began April 1 and ends June 30, according to an article in the Madison County Record. She has had help from about a dozen Chicago lawyers and law firms.

The campaign of Republican Judge Stephen McGlynn, who sits in St. Clair County, reported raising $5,000 during the same period.

Ed Murnane, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League, said it is expected that money will flow into the contest once the election season advances.

Murnane’s group pushed aggressively to oust Illinois Justice Thomas Kilbride in a 2010 retention election (see Gavel Grab). The group supported McGlynn in a prior election.

Cates is a former president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Tags: Illinois