Evanston resident Anjana Hansen is on the Nov. 3 ballot for retention as a Cook County Circuit Court judge.

In Illinois retention races, voters cast a yes-or-no vote on whether to keep a sitting judge on the bench. There are no opposing candidates. The race is nonpartisan, and Hansen is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady.

Hansen said she founded the Asian American Judges Association in part because few Asian Americans served on the Cook County bench when she first ran for judge. In an interview published by the Illinois Courts, she said: "I am most proud of starting the Asian American Judges Association. One of the reasons I ran for judge is because, at the time, there were not that many Asian Americans on the bench in Cook County."

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Hometown: Evanston, IL
  • Education: Bachelor's degree, St. Norbert College (1994); J.D., The John Marshall Law School (now UIC School of Law)
  • Family background: Hansen said her parents are immigrants from India and the Philippines. She said she is the first lawyer in her family.

Experience and public service

Hansen serves as a Cook County Circuit Court judge, according to BallotReady.

Before joining the bench, she served as an assistant state's attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, also according to BallotReady. She worked as a contract attorney and administrative hearing officer for the City of Evanston, according to her professional profile on Trellis.Law.

Hansen served as alderman for Evanston's 9th Ward, winning election in 2005 and 2009, according to the same profile.

Her teaching experience spans law enforcement and legal education. She taught at Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies for Police Staff and Command. She also served as an instructor at Loyola University Chicago's Institute for Paralegal Studies and at the Evanston Police Department's Citizen Police Academy.

Candidate information is drawn from BallotReady election data, the candidate's published responses to the Illinois Courts and professional records on Trellis.Law. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.