By Sean Crawford, IL Public Radio
Springfield, Ill. – Just two years after Illinois set a record for the most expensive Supreme Court race ever, a campaign for the appellate court has now broken a spending mark.
Democrat Bruce Stewart and Republican Steve McGlynn spent more than $3 million for a seat on the Appellate Court representing southern Illinois. That set a record for judicial races at that level.
Stewart, who won, got most of his money from trial lawyers, while McGlynn was backed by business groups.
Most of the money raised went for negative advertising.
Just two years ago, the most expensive Supreme Court race ever occurred in the same area.
Cindy Canary, with the group "Illinois Campaign for Political Reform," says there was a time when court races were a low-key affair, but now they resemble races for governor.
She's among those who favor public financing of judicial races. She says that would stem the flow of special interest money and prevent those elected to the bench from being beholden to those who pay for campaigns. Past efforts to pass such a plan, though, have failed.