Cook County voters will decide Nov. 3, 2026, whether to retain Circuit Court Judge Judith C. Rice, who has led the court's Domestic Violence Division. Rice has served on the Cook County Circuit Court since December 2014.

In a retention vote, voters mark yes or no on whether to keep a sitting judge. The vote is nonpartisan. Circuit Court judges handle civil, criminal and family cases at the trial level in Cook County.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Education: Bachelor of arts in communications, Loyola University Chicago (1981); juris doctor in law, John Marshall Law School, now UIC John Marshall Law School (1988)
  • Born: July 30, 1957, in Chicago

Experience and public service

Rice began her legal career as a victim/witness assistant at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in 1982, according to public records. After earning her law degree, she worked as a prosecutor at the State's Attorney's Office and as an assistant to the Illinois attorney general.

She held several City of Chicago posts over more than a decade. Rice served as assistant corporation counsel, director of administrative adjudication, director of the Department of Revenue, and executive assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley. She became the first female commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water and later the first female head of the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Rice served as Chicago city treasurer from November 2000 to December 2006 and then as deputy mayor. She later worked as senior vice president and director of government relations, community affairs and economic development at BMO Harris Bank.

She joined the Cook County Circuit Court bench in December 2014. On the court, Rice has been assigned to the Domestic Relations Division and later became presiding judge of the Domestic Violence Division, according to the American Bar Association.

Rice has also served on the advisory board of the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center.

In September 2022, Rice launched the After Hours Emergency Order of Protection Pilot as presiding judge of the Domestic Violence Division. The program enables domestic violence survivors to receive orders of protection outside regular court business hours, according to the American Bar Association.

In August 2024, Rice received the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence's Judith S. Kaye Award for what the commission called her "exemplary leadership developing courtroom responses to domestic and sexual violence issues," according to the Illinois Courts.

Prior retention

Rice was retained to the 7th Subcircuit of the Cook County Circuit Court in the Nov. 3, 2020, retention election. She received 78.3% yes votes, with 1,285,368 yes votes and 355,910 no votes.

Endorsements

Rice has received endorsements from the following, as claimed by the endorsers according to BallotReady:

  • IUOE Local 150
  • Cook County Democrats

Candidate profile information is drawn from reviewed public sources including BallotReady, the American Bar Association, the Illinois Courts and Wikipedia. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.