Cook County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Kevin Coughlin faces a retention question on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. Voters will decide whether to keep Coughlin on the bench in a nonpartisan, yes-or-no vote.

No opponent appears on the ballot.

Coughlin has served as a circuit court judge since 2014, according to BallotReady profile data. Before joining the bench, he spent 17 years as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County, according to his Ballotpedia profile.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Bachelor's degree, Loyola University Chicago (1991); juris doctor, DePaul University (1996)
  • Ballot status: Certified for the general election ballot

Experience and public service

Coughlin spent 17 years working in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, according to Ballotpedia. He served as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County, according to Ballotpedia. He later rose to deputy bureau chief of the Narcotics Bureau within the same office, according to Ballotpedia.

Coughlin has held his seat on the Cook County circuit court since 2014, according to BallotReady profile data. He earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1991 and a juris doctor from DePaul University in 1996, according to BallotReady.

On the issues

Judicial philosophy

In a candidate questionnaire published by Ballotpedia, Coughlin described his approach to the bench.

"My judicial philosophy is best described as one of restraint," Coughlin said in his questionnaire response. "It is not the responsibility of judges to create new laws or only apply those laws with which they agree. Absent a statute being unconstitutional, if one disagrees with a statute or the effects that its application has, their remedy should lie with the legislature."

The questionnaire response was the only issue position Coughlin provided through Ballotpedia.

Endorsements

The Illinois State Bar Association rated Coughlin "Qualified," according to Ballotpedia. The rating was reported by the bar association itself, according to Ballotpedia.

  • Illinois State Bar Association — Qualified

Candidate issue responses referenced in this article come from Coughlin's Ballotpedia questionnaire. The Evanston Wire did not interview the candidate for this profile.