The Illinois Supreme Court's second black female justice appears poised to secure a full 10-year term on the state high court, parlaying her appointment at the behest of former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke into an easy election victory.
With most of the vote counted, Democratic voters in Cook County overwhelmingly voted to send Justice Joy V. Cunningham back to the state Supreme Court, to permanently fill the seat to which she had been appointed following Burke's retirement in 2023.
According to unofficial election results, Cunningham had secured nearly 75% of the vote in the direct head-to-head matchup with Appellate Justice Jesse G. Reyes in the race for the full term from Illinois' First Judicial District.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White
| Illinois Supreme Court
That district includes only Cook County, the state's most populated county, by far. Three seats on the Illinois Supreme Court are reserved under the state constitution for Cook County and the First Judicial District.
Each of the state's other four districts, which include multiple counties in Chicago's suburbs and downstate, each elect one justice to the Supreme Court.
The loss in the March Democratic primary marked the second time Reyes had failed to win his bid to become Illinois' first Latino Supreme Court justice. He lost in 2020 to Justice P. Scott Neville.
When she was appointed in 2023, Cunningham became Illinois' second black female justice, along with Republican Justice Lisa Holder White. In all, three black justices currently serve on the seven-member court. Five of the justices are women.
Holder White was appointed in 2022 to replace former Justice Rita B. Garman, upon Garman's retirement.
Both Cunningham's and Holder White's appointments to fill the remaining terms of Burke and Garman, respectively, were confirmed by the full court. Both appointments followed the state high court's tradition of essentially allowing retiring justices to choose their own replacement.
Anne Burke is the wife of once-powerful Chicago Ald. Ed Burke. Ed Burke was convicted earlier this year on charges related to political corruption, and is expected to be sentenced this summer. In his former role at the top of the Cook County Democratic Party, Burke was widely known to also hold the reins on judicial appointments and judicial candidate selection in Cook County.
In the race for the open seat on the court, Cunningham drew the official endorsement from the Cook County Democratic Party, which is now led by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
In a statement posted on her campaign's Facebook page, Cunningham thanked voters for their support.
"Humbled and honored to accept the Democratic nomination for First District Illinois Supreme Court Justice. This victory belongs to all who believed in our vision of justice, fairness, and equality. Thank you to everyone who supported us along this journey - together, we've made history and will continue fighting for a brighter future for all Illinois families," Cunningham said in that post.
In Illinois' Fourth Judicial District downstate, Holder White ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Given the political makeup of their respective districts, both Cunningham and Holder White are expected to secure full 10-year terms on the high court following the November general elections. No Republican candidate is expected to challenge Cunningham in heavily Democratic Cook County.