Ava George Stewart, a Democratic attorney and solo practitioner, is running for Circuit Court Judge in Cook County's Hooks Vacancy. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.
Stewart has been certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data. She operates a firm focused on criminal and civil cases, according to Injustice Watch. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law from 2018 to present, according to BallotReady.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (Hooks Vacancy)
- Law practice: Owner, Law Office of Ava George Stewart (2005–present), according to BallotReady
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history and sociology, Northwestern University (1989); master's degree in managerial communications, Northwestern University (1998); juris doctor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2003), according to BallotReady
- Residence: Stewart and her husband, Alistair, have lived on Chicago's Near Northside for over 20 years, according to her campaign website
- Affiliation: Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., according to her campaign website
Experience and public service
Stewart's career includes nonprofit leadership, public prosecution and private practice.
She served as executive director at Chicago Youth Centers and at WINGS between 1996 and 2000, according to BallotReady. After earning her law degree, she worked in the Municipal Prosecutions Division for the City of Chicago from 2003 to 2005, according to BallotReady.
She opened her own law office in 2005.
She later served as a chief in the Lake County State's Attorney's office from 2021 to 2023, according to BallotReady.
Stewart has held leadership roles in legal and civic organizations. She has served as an elected member, secretary and treasurer on the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors for Cook County, according to her campaign website. She has also served as board president of Women Everywhere, a member of the Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission and a board member at Chicago's Green City Market, according to her campaign website.
Endorsements
Stewart has been rated by bar associations, according to WTTW's 2026 voter guide, and endorsed by labor organizations and the Cook County Democratic Party, according to BallotReady:
- Alliance of Illinois Bar Associations — rated Qualified (overall)
- Black Men Lawyers' Association — rated Highly Recommended
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association, also known as LAGBAC — rated Highly Recommended
- IUOE Local 150
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134
- Chicago Federation of Labour
- Cook County Democrats
Candidate information is drawn from a producer-reviewed profile based on BallotReady data, Injustice Watch reporting, WTTW's voter guide and the candidate's own campaign website. No candidate questionnaire responses on specific policy issues were available for this profile.
