Cook County Circuit Court Judge Krista D. Butler is on the ballot for retention in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

The nonpartisan retention question asks voters whether Butler should continue serving as an Illinois Circuit Court judge in the Cook County Circuit. Park Ridge and Niles residents will see the retention question on their Cook County ballots.

In a retention race, no opposing candidate appears on the ballot. Voters cast a "yes" or "no" vote on whether the judge remains in office.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology, DePaul University; J.D., Illinois Institute of Technology (1993), according to BallotReady
  • Bar admissions: Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Supreme Court for the State of Illinois and the State of Illinois, according to Butler's response to the Committee for Retention of Judges
  • Professional memberships: Illinois Judicial Council, Illinois Judges Association, Cook County Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, according to Butler's response to the Committee for Retention of Judges

Experience and public service

Butler has served as a Cook County Circuit Court judge since 2020, according to BallotReady. She earned her J.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1993 and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from DePaul University.

Before taking the bench, she worked as an attorney at the State Government of Illinois, according to her response to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

Butler said she is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Supreme Court for the State of Illinois and the State of Illinois, according to her committee response.

When Butler ran for the Cook County Circuit Court 1st Subcircuit seat in 2020, all three major bar associations rated her "Not Qualified" or "Not Recommended," according to WTTW News. The Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Illinois State Bar Association each issued those ratings. No bar association ratings for the 2026 retention vote were available as of publication.

Butler listed membership in the Illinois Judicial Council, the Illinois Judges Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in her committee response.

On the issues

No issue positions or policy responses from Butler were available for this profile.

Endorsements

No endorsements were available for this profile.

Candidate information in this profile is drawn from BallotReady election data, Butler's response to the Committee for Retention of Judges and WTTW News reporting. Statements attributed to Butler's committee response reflect the candidate's own claims.