Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas M. Cushing faces a retention vote on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Cushing is one of several Cook County judges up for retention this cycle, and Evanston voters will see his name on the retention portion of the ballot, as we reported in a profile of Judge Chris Stacey.

Cushing was appointed as an at-large Cook County circuit judge by the Illinois Supreme Court, effective June 19, 2019, on the recommendation of Justice Mary Jane Theis, according to the legal blog For What It's Worth. The appointment filled the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Nicholas R. Ford. The race is nonpartisan, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

  • Name: Thomas M. Cushing
  • Office: Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit
  • Race: Retain Cushing? (nonpartisan)
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in English and government, University of Notre Dame (1983); juris doctor, Loyola University Chicago (1988)

Experience and public service

Before joining the bench, Cushing spent decades in private legal practice. He was a trial attorney at Ambrose & Cushing, PC from November 1988 to August 2005, according to For What It's Worth. He then served as principal at Thomas M. Cushing, LLC from 2006 to 2019, according to BallotReady.

Cushing also held roles outside private practice. He served as managing director of strategic partnerships and policy at the Delta Institute from 2012 to 2013, according to BallotReady. He served as of counsel at Christopher A. Kreid & Associates from 2013 to 2019, also according to BallotReady.

He served as a hearing board member at the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission starting in 2013, according to For What It's Worth. He also served as adjunct faculty at Loyola University School of Law, according to the same source.

At the time of his 2019 appointment, Cushing received highly qualified or recommended ratings from a dozen bar groups, according to For What It's Worth.

Cushing has served as a Cook County circuit court judge since his 2019 appointment.

Endorsements

All 13 bar associations unanimously recommended Cushing for retention, rating him "Yes," according to WTTW's 2026 voter guide. The unanimous recommendation means all participating bar associations found him qualified to remain on the bench.

  • 13 Bar Associations (per WTTW voter guide)

Endorsement ratings are claimed by the endorsing organizations. Candidate information is drawn from BallotReady profile data, WTTW's voter guide and published reporting. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.