Plaintiffs firms and Democratic officials have focused their attention on two contested judicial races in St. Clair County, according to recently filed quarterly reports.
For the reporting period running from April 6 to June 30, Republican judicial candidates in St. Clair County received only one campaign contribution in excess of $1,000 from an attorney. On the other hand, the campaigns for Democratic judicial candidates have been almost entirely funded by attorneys, law firms, judges and other campaign committees.
Democrat Associate Judge Patrick Foley, who is running for the vacancy of former Circuit Judge Ron Duebbert in St. Clair County, reported a total of $34,160 contributions for the quarter. Nearly all of the contributions exceeding $1,000 came from attorneys, law firms or other campaign committees.
Foley’s campaign committee, the Comm to Elect Patrick R Foley Circuit Judge, filed his quarterly report on July 11.
During the reporting period, Foley reported contributions of $1,000 or more from law firms including Keefe Keefe & Unsell in Belleville, Cates Mahoney in Swansea, and the Chicago branch of the Korein Tillery firm in St. Louis.
He also received contributions from individual attorneys, including Christopher Layloff of The Gori Firm in Edwardsville, Tim Cronin of The Simon Law Firm in St. Louis, and Sean Cronin of Donovan Rose Nester in Belleville.
Foley previously reported contributions from additional firms such as Chatham and Baricevic, Becker Hoerner, and Hipskind and McAninch, among others.
Most recently, Foley’s campaign committee listed contributions submitted after the quarterly report’s filing period from other campaign committees. Foley received two separate $1,000 contributions on July 13 from the Committee to elect Jay C. Hoffman. Hoffman (D-Belleville) currently serves as the House assistant majority leader.
In July, he also reported two $1,000 contributions from the Storino Ramello & Durkin law firm in Rosemont and additional $1,000 contributions from Cory E Easton PC in Belleville, Kuehn Beasley & Young PC in Belleville, and William Caponi & Associates PC in Belleville. Foley reported $2,500 contributions from Nelson & Nelson in Belleville and Rich RIch Cooksey & Chappell PC in Fairview Heights.
Foley’s committee also reported $2,565 in in-kind contributions and $31,800.54 in expenditures.
Foley’s opponent, Republican Circuit Judge Bill Stiehl, who was appointed to fill Duebbert’s vacancy, reported $12,000 in contributions and $4,277.34 in in-kind contributions. Only one of Stiehl’s contributions exceeding $1,000 appears to have come from an attorney.
The Committee to Elect Judge Stiehl filed its quarterly report on July 12.
During the reporting period, Stiehl received one $1,000 contribution from an attorney - Mark Scoggins of Crowder and Scoggins in Columbia, Ill.
Stiehl received additional $1,000 contributions from Otto Roberts of Belleville and Dan Siegel of Deli Star Corporation in Belleville. He also reported a $3,500 contribution and a $2,500 from Celeste Stiehl in O’Fallon.
Stiehl’s committee also reported $4,339.76 in expenditures.
Democrat Associate Judge Kevin Hoerner, who is running for the vacancy of former Circuit Judge Stephen McGlynn in St. Clair County, reported $21,250 contributions.
Hoerner’s quarterly report was filed on July 15 by the Committee to Elect Kevin T Hoerner, which also listed $31,825.69 in expenditures.
All of Hoerner’s contributions exceeding $1,000 during the reporting period were from attorneys and law firms.
Hoerner received $5,000 from Keefe Keefe & Unsell in Swansea, $6,000 from the Chicago office of the Korein Tillery firm and $1,000 from the Law Office of Rhonda D. Fiss in Belleville. He also received $1,000 from attorney Ann Callis of the Holland Law Firm.
During the prior reporting period, Hoerner received contributions from St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert Haida, Associate Judge Dominic Kujawa, and former Circuit Judge Vincent Lopinot. He also received contributions from Fairview Heights mayor Mark Kupsky and former Swansea mayor James Rauckman, as well as attorney Bruce Cook, The Gori Firm and Weilmuenster & Keck PC.
Hoerner’s opponent, Republican Paul Evans, filed his quarterly report on July 1 through his campaign committee, Citizens for Paul J Evans. He reported no contributions.
Of the 12 circuit judges and 13 associate judges in St. Clair County, only two sitting judges are Republican: Stiehl and Circuit Judge Daniel Emge.