Third District State Supreme Court Race at $1 Million

November 2, 2000

Cindi Canary, ICPR
312-335-1767
Kent Redfield, Sunshine Project
217-206-6574

Third District State Supreme Court Race at $1 Million

Voters express concern about money in judicial races in ICPR poll

With over $1,000,000 in contributions since July 1, 2000 and another five days to go before the election, the third district Supreme Court race has already set a new record for general election spending for an Illinois State Supreme Court seat. Since July 1, Rock Island attorney Tom Kilbride, a Democrat, has raised $702,000. His opponent Republican State Senator Carl Hawkinson has added more than $312,000 to his coffers. The Third Supreme Court District cuts a wide swath across central Illinois.

In order to raise a million dollars, the two judicial candidates have gone to sources of money more traditionally tapped by legislative campaigns in Illinois political parties, political leaders, big labor unions and big business.

The Democratic Party of Illinois, which is chaired by Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, has provided more than $566,000 in money, services and staff to Kilbride. Labor unions have contributed more than $111,000 to Kilbride.

Hawkinson has benefited from $72,500 from a political committee controlled by Senate President James "Pate" Philip, $30,000 from the State Republican Party, $25,000 from a political fund control by US House Speaker Dennis Hastart, $25,000 from the Illinois Education Association and $20,0000 from the Caterpillar Corporation.

"Not only is this the most expensive general election contest ever held for a Supreme Court seat, but the pattern of party giving is very troubling," said Kent Redfield, director of the Sunshine project. "With a host of issues of interest to big labor and big business such as tort reform and workers compensation likely to be before the court and with the judicial review of the new legislative district map looming over the horizon, it is legitimate to ask what kind of access and what kind of consideration is being bought with these campaign contributions."

3rd Supreme Court District

"The amount of money being spent and the sources of money raise serious questions about the impact of elections on the independence and legitimacy of the judicial process. Whatever the reality, the appearance that justice is for sale is very corrosive to public support for the courts," said Redfield.

"The third Supreme Court district shows Illinois falling into the troubling pattern of states like Texas and Ohio where business and labor interests and party bosses wield campaign contributions in an attempt to dominate court elections," according to Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

Recent polling conducted for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform found that 69% of the public statewide and 66% of Central Illinois residents believed that judges were often or sometimes influenced by campaign contributions. Two thirds of Central Illinois respondents felt that neither businesses nor law firms should be permitted to fund judicial campaigns.

"The public is clearly concerned about the course of the judiciary and does not believe that judicial contests should mirror legislative battles "according to Canary. "Illinois citizen's expect their courts to uphold the constitution, without regard to special interest concerns and they fear that the campaign finance arms race in the judiciary may be undermining these principals."

The old record for general election spending on a state Supreme Court race in Illinois was $756,000 in 1990 in the contest between Judge James Heiple and Judge Toby Barry for the third judicial district seat. That total included a personal loan of $365,000 from Heiple to his campaign.

Three Supreme Court members will be elected this year, and spending in each of these districts is setting new records. In the Supreme Court’s First District, nearly $2.3 million was spent in the spring Democratic primary, which was won by Judge Thomas Fitzgerald who is unopposed in the general election. The First District covers Cook County. Almost $3 million was raised in the Republican primary in the Second District, which includes DuPage, Kane Lake and McHenry counties. Judge Bob Thomas won that primary and faces nominal opposition from attorney Larry Drury in the general election.

The Sunshine Project is located at the University of Illinois at Springfield and is funded by the Joyce Foundation. Its goal is to increase public awareness and understanding of the role of money in Illinois politics.

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization chaired by former U.S. Senator Paul Simon and funded by the Joyce Foundation. The ICPR is working to reform campaign finance laws in Illinois.