North Shore voters will see Cook County Circuit Court Judge Andrea M. Buford's name on their ballots in the Nov. 3 general election.

Buford has served on the bench since 2013 and faces a retention vote. In a retention race, voters cast a "yes" or "no" vote on whether a sitting judge should remain on the bench. No opposing candidate appears on the ballot.

Buford was last retained in November 2020 with 78.7% of the vote, receiving 1,282,698 yes votes and 348,058 no votes, according to Ballotpedia.

Candidate information

• Office sought: Cook County Circuit Court Judge (retention), nonpartisan
• Education: High school diploma, Aquinas Dominican High School (1974); bachelor's degree in speech, Northwestern University (1978); juris doctor, Illinois Institute of Technology (1986)
• Residence: Lifelong Chicago resident

Experience and public service

The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Buford to the bench in April 2013, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Pamela Hill-Veal, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County. She is the acting presiding judge of the Child Protection Division, a role she took on in 2025.

Before joining the bench, Buford focused her practice on civil defense litigation. She represented corporations and municipalities, including Fortune 500 companies, in tort, commercial and employment law cases. She was managing member of Buford Law Office from 2001 to 2013 and a partner at Jones, Ware & Grenard from 1987 to 2001, according to her BallotReady profile.

Buford also served as an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County and a commissioner at the Illinois Court of Claims. She was a special assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago and a special assistant attorney general.

Her leadership roles include president of the Cook County Bar Association, president of the Cook County Bar Association Foundation and president of the Illinois Judicial Council.

She chaired the Special Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts and served on the Illinois Supreme Court committees on Professional Responsibility, Equality and Guardians Ad Litem. She also served as economic development chair for the NAACP.

N'DIGO magazine named Buford one of the most influential Chicagoans, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Endorsements

All bar associations in Cook County rated Buford as recommended or highly recommended, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County.

On the issues

No issue responses from Buford were available in the materials reviewed for this profile.

Candidate profile information is drawn from the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ballotpedia and BallotReady. No candidate questionnaire responses were available.