The campaign finance committee for Democrat candidate for Illinois Supreme Court Judy Cates outraised Republican David Overstreet by a near 2 to 1 margin in the second quarter.
According to disclosure reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Cates received $87,575 in contributions, to Overstreet's $46,219. And, in the first two weeks of July, Cates' committee has picked up another $25,200 in cash and Overstreet another $6,000.
Overstreet, 54, of Mount Vernon and Cates, 68, of Swansea both serve as appellate judges at the Fifth District Appellate Court and seek election to the vacancy being created by the retirement of Justice Lloyd Karmeier, a Republican who was first elected to the seat in 2004.
Voters in the Fifth Judicial District, which includes the state's 37 southern most counties, will decide whether the court will remain balanced as a 4-3 Democrat to Republican court with an Overstreet win or shift more left 5-2 with a Cates win. In the most recent appellate court races in the Fifth District voters have shown a preference for conservative candidates.
Contributions to Cates, a former president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, have largely come from the trial bar from near and far - including $11,600 from Clifford Law Offices and $5,000 from Tomasik Kotin & Kassermann, both of Chicago. Korein Tillery of St. Louis contributed $11,600 and firm attorney Christine Moody contributed $5,800.
Swansea firm Cates Mahoney where son David Cates practices contributed $11,600; attorney Ryan Mahoney individually contributed $5,800. Courtney Clark Law of Belleville contributed $5,000 and Law Office of Rhonda Fiss of Belleville contributed $4,755.
Long time State Rep. Jay Hoffman, a Democrat from Belleville whose campaign committee has amassed an $800,000 treasure chest, transferred $11,600 to Cates.
Overstreet's contributions in the second quarter were mostly from other political campaign committees including $10,000 from Frank Watson, a former state senator from Greenville whose Citizens for Frank Watson committee with approximately $100,000 in leftover investment funds continues to help fellow Republicans.
He also received $10,000 each from the committees of Republican state House members Dave Severin and Terri Bryant.
If past elections are any indication, fund-raising is likely to accelerate in the third quarter.
The 2004 contest between Karmeier and Democrat Gordon Maag at the time set a record for the costliest state supreme court race in the country, exceeding $9 million. The vast majority of those funds poured in, in October and up until election eve.
It was a battle between business interests that were getting hammered in specific courts (Madison, St. Clair and Cook counties) and trial lawyers that wanted to maintain their access to bring class action, asbestos and other personal injury litigation.
In Karmeier's 2014 retention campaign, trial lawyers poured millions into a late challenge that nearly booted him from the bench.
Two other Supreme Court races are on the ballot this November - in the First Judicial District (Cook County) where incumbent Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., Democrat, is likely to hold the seat in the reliably Democratic district. And in the Third Judicial District, Justice Thomas Kilbride, Democrat, is seeking retention in an area that includes population centers Peoria, Kankakee, La Salle Peru and Joliet, and which is considered more of a swing district. Kilbride, whose critical vote on knocking down an anti-gerrymandering initiative in 2016 helped keep House Speaker Michael Madigan in power, needs 60 percent voter approval to earn a third 10-year term.
An unusual campaign season
Overstreet said that in spite of canceled or curtailed county fairs, parades and community festivals - the lifeblood of any campaign - he has been traveling throughout the district's 37 counties attending some community type events and small gatherings, as well as reaching out to voters through radio programs.
"It's definitely different," he said of campaigning COVID-19 style.
"I'm not sitting at home every night," he said. "We have been creative."
A spokesperson for Cates said her campaign has been focusing on digital efforts "to engage and speak with voters."
"We have been using videoconferencing to discuss issues that voters are concerned about that affect their everyday lives," the statement said.
"Most recently, we have launched a podcast series. As our district reopens and events occur, our campaign team plans to get out on the ground, following recommendations and protocols to keep citizens safe. The Judge Judy for Supreme Court campaign remains committed to informing the people of this district that Judge Judy Cates is the best candidate for the Illinois Supreme Court based on her 42-plus years of experience as a prosecutor, lawyer, teacher, community philanthropist, and justice on the appellate court."