Illinois Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke is running for election as a Republican. He’s serving from the current 2nd Judicial District. A new district map will be in effect when the next term starts, so if he’s elected Burke will be in the newly drawn 3rd District that covers LaSalle, Bureau, and Grundy counties plus DuPage County where he’s from.
Burke joined the state’s highest court last year when Robert Thomas retired. He announced his candidacy today, just three days after Gov. Pritzker signed the bill into law to create the new legislative and judicial districts that’ll be in effect for the 2022 elections. It’s the first redraw of the Illinois judicial districts in nearly 60 years.
According to the 62-year old Burke’s campaign web site, people endorsing him for election include St. Sen. Sue Rezin, Illinois House members Tom Demmer and David Welter, former LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton, Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland, and former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan. If he wins the 2022 elections, Burke would have a ten-year term toward the end of which he would be up for a retention vote if he wants to keep the job. The ballots in 2032 would ask voters if he should remain a Supreme Court Justice. But the 2022 ballots will ask voters to choose from Burke and other candidates if others run.
Justice Michael Burke is not related to Ill. Sup. Ct. Chief Justice Anne Burke.
Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously said the judge is 72 years old. He is 62.