Democrat Barry Julian announced on Aug. 23 that he has been endorsed for a Madison County circuit judgeship by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Durbin, who chairs the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, has not previously endorsed candidates for local courts.
The senior senator from Illinois did not issue an endorsement of Ebony Huddleston or Associate Judge Ryan Jumper, his party’s other judicial candidates in Madison County this year.
Durbin said Julian had done an outstanding job as associate judge, when he served on the bench for less than two years between 2019 and 2020.
“His record of upholding everyone’s constitutional right to a trial by jury and of ensuring the law is applied fairly and equitably is outstanding,” Durbin stated.
In June, Julian won the Democratic primary as a write in candidate after failing to submit valid signatures on petitions to earn a spot on the ballot.
He is running for the seat in gerrymandered Subcircuit 1 - the western portion of the county along the Mississippi River that also juts to the east to include the upscale Fox Creek neighborhood where Julian resides.
In the November general election, he faces sitting Circuit Judge Chris Threlkeld, Republican, who had to move from his existing home in Edwardsville to a location inside Subcircuit 1 to be eligible to run for the seat he holds by appointment.
Threlkeld and Julian seek the vacancy of former circuit judge David Dugan.
Julian is co-founder of what has become the nation’s biggest asbestos law firm, Edwardsville-based Gori & Julian. He retired from the firm (now known as Gori Law) and moved to Naples, Fla., canceling his Madison County voter registration in December 2014.
He returned in January 2019 to compete among a field of 11 other attorneys for the associate judge vacancy of Sarah Smith, elected circuit judge in 2018. His re-registration as a voter in Edwardsville was processed the same day he was appointed associate judge in January 2019.
He resigned on Dec. 7, 2020, two and a half years before his term would have ended.
Among the nine circuit judges who considered him for associate judge, five received campaign contributions from Julian, (late) partner Randy Gori, and the Gori Julian firm.
The asbestos lawyer contributions to then chief judge Dave Hylla and judges William Mudge, Dennis Ruth, Kyle Napp, and Sarah Smith totaled $51,500 from 2012 until the time of his appointment.
Julian also has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to various state and federal campaigns.
He contributed $2,600 to Durbin in 2014 before heading south to Naples.
Between 2004 and 2010, he contributed $91,100 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Between 2000-2002 he contributed $27,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The Gerrymander Act
In early January, state legislators passed the controversial judicial redistricting law that divided Madison County into three judicial sub circuits.
Local Democrat supporters included State Sen. Rachelle Crowe, who was recently appointed U.S. Attorney with Durbin’s help. State Reps. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) and Katie Stuart (D-Collinsville) also voted for the bill that passed in the middle of the night without debate.
Many stakeholders of Madison County's court system said they were not aware that the bill was even up for consideration until just before it passed, including Chief Judge William Mudge. One of the stated reasons for enacting the measure was to create more diversity on the bench.
The bill placed Alton, Granite City, and nearby communities into Subcircuit 1 and ran a thin line of voters east to Julian’s house, and from there south to Jumper’s house.
The redistricting law assigned three vacancies to Subcircuit 1 for election this year and none to Subcircuits 2 and 3.
Citizens in 2 and 3 who had expected to vote on all vacancies found they couldn’t vote on any of the races.
The law also impacted the campaign of Circuit Judge Amy Sholar, who had lived in Godfrey but was required to move in order to be eligible for election. Sholar, Republican, will face Democrat Huddleston, who like Julian failed to gather valid petitions to earn a spot on the ballot. She ran as a write-in candidate in the June primary.
They seek election to the Richard Tognarelli vacancy.
Also on the ballot in Subcircuit 1 this year is the race for the Chief Judge Mudge vacancy. Mudge announced in March he would be retiring at the end of this year. Candidates for that race are Democrat Jumper versus attorney Tim Berkley, Republican.
The Durbin endorsement
Durbin’s endorsement planted Julian in the heart of Subcircuit 1, rather than in Fox Creek.
The press release introduced him as “Alton native, current Edwardsville resident.”
“He grew up in Alton and was raised by a union machinist and a school teacher,” it stated.
“His broad background and variety of experiences show he understands people from all walks of life.”