Prairie State Wire

Nick Klitzing, president of the Judicial Fairness Project, worries about where he sees the state’s high court heading from here.

“For the first time ever, corrupt politicians redrew the districts that elect the Illinois Supreme Court because their hand-picked ally, Justice Tom Kilbride, was defeated last year,” Klitzing said. “The Springfield insiders will do anything to elect a Supreme Court that will serve them, not the citizens of Illinois. Unfortunately for them, Illinoisans have begun to notice that the corrupt political machine run by former Speaker Mike Madigan has stacked the Court for decades, and they won't let it continue.”

With Kilbride and Madigan out of the picture, Republicans are as confident as they’ve ever been about their chances.

“Next November, voters will have a tremendous opportunity to ensure that Illinois has an independent and fair judiciary not controlled by the political class,” said Klitzing.

Among those leading the anti-Kilbride charge was former GOP lawmaker James Nowlan, chair of the Citizens for Judicial Fairness. Nowlan framed his opposition to Kilbride as a vote against Madigan.

“They almost come out of their chairs with applause," he said. “And I say, ‘this year you can (vote against Madigan). You can vote against Tom Kilbride.'”

Part of Nowlan’s resistance stems from a 2016 decision Kilbride wrote that wiped out a proposed amendment aimed at taking politics out of the legislative redistricting process by putting the power in the hands of a neutral committee.

Over the years, Madigan fought against stripping politicians of that responsibility and Kilbride’s 4-3 majority opinion kept control in the hands of Democratic lawmakers.

“I really think he sold his soul to the devil with that opinion,” Nowlan said.