Dear Dr. Rachel Tompkins and League of Women Voters Edwardsville Area:
Thank you for inviting the Republican judicial candidates to the October 3, 2022, Candidate Event. Judge Amy Sholar, Judge Chris Threlkeld, and Tim Berkley will not be in attendance, but each wish you the best of luck with your event.
Earlier this year, and without input from either the courts of the community, the Illinois legislature passed a law changing how judges are elected in Madison County, effective immediately. The effect is unfortunate for residents of Edwardsville and every other town in central and eastern Madison County. Prior to the new law, every registered voter in Madison County had a right to vote for all judges who preside over cases in the county. Overnight, with the passage of this law, two-thirds of Madison County, including nearly all of Edwardsville, is now excluded from the upcoming judicial election, where three judges will be chosen.
The new law both divides Madison County into three “judicial subcircuits” and assigns the first three judicial vacancies to the 1st subcircuit, of which only a small, specified section of Edwardsville is included. Consequently, the venue for the event, The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, is not located in the 1st subcircuit. While Edwardsville residents will still have their cases heard by judges elected in November, nearly all (over 95%) of the eligible voters in Edwardsville will receive ballots in November where none of the judicial contests are listed due to the inequitable way in which the subcircuit boundaries were drawn.
While the candidates would be thrilled to meet with the members of the league and share their ideas about the roles of circuit judges in Madison County, why they think politics should be left out of the courtroom and why broad legal experience matters, the campaigns must focus on meeting and engaging with residents of the 1st subcircuit.
Again, given that the LWV Edwardsville Area is hosting this event, most, if not all, attendees are ineligible to vote for any of the judicial candidates in the general election. The campaigns, therefore, respectfully decline the invitation.
Respectfully,
Citizens for Judge Sholar
Citizens for Judge Threlkeld
Citizens for Berkley