At an endorsement press conference State Rep. Paul Evans (R-O'Fallon), Judge Stephen McGlynn, State Rep. Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) and Illinois Chamber President Doug Whitley.
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Republican candidate Stephen McGlynn for the Fifth District Appellate Court.
Illinois Chamber President Doug Whitley said at a press conference on Tuesday in Collinsville that the upcoming election is equally as important as a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court judicial race in which Republican Lloyd Karmeier was elected to the high court.
He said that since Karmeier's election there has been some improvement in changing the "tarnished image" of southern Illinois courts.
He cited Madison and St. Clair counties as being lawsuit "venue friendly."
"This election is not just about local issues," Whitley said. "It's important to the state as a whole."
McGlynn faces Swansea personal injury attorney Judy Cates, a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 election.
Whitley said that there is a clear distinction between McGlynn and Cates.
He said that Cates has a track record of suing companies and filing class action lawsuits.
Whitley said that McGlynn has a track record of being an impartial jurist.
McGlynn currently serves as a St. Clair County circuit judge. He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill a vacancy created in 2010.
He also served as an appellate court justice by appointment from 2005-2006. He ran unsuccessfully against Democrat Bruce Stewart in the November 2006 election.
"Illinois is at a crossroads, both fiscally and economically," Whitley said in a statement. "Many important business and civic matters are heard before the Fifth District Appellate Court. The court's rulings impact our daily lives, the decisions made by business leaders and even how we govern ourselves."