Cook County Circuit Court Judge Laura Ayala-Gonzalez appears on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot for a retention vote.

Ayala-Gonzalez presides over felony cases in the Criminal Division, Courtroom 303 at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse. She has served as a circuit court judge since 2020. The nonpartisan ballot question asks Cook County voters whether to retain her on the bench, a simple yes-or-no decision that will determine whether she continues serving.

North Shore residents who cast ballots in Cook County judicial races will see the retention question for Ayala-Gonzalez on their ballots.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, sociology and Spanish, Bradley University (1997); juris doctor, John Marshall Law School (2002)
  • Hometown: Born in El Paso, Texas; raised by her single mother and grandparents

Experience and public service

Before joining the bench, Ayala-Gonzalez spent two decades as an assistant Cook County state's attorney, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. During that career she litigated more than 100 felony jury trials, the committee's profile states.

She rose through several roles in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. She served as first chair of the Complex Homicide Unit, where she handled the office's most serious cases. She later became supervisor of the Felony Trial Division and deputy supervisor of the Felony Review Unit, according to the committee's profile and BallotReady.

Ayala-Gonzalez took the bench in 2020 and was first assigned to the Traffic Division, where she served through 2021. She then moved to the First Municipal Division in 2021 before transferring to the Criminal Division to handle felony cases, a role she holds at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse, according to Cook County court records.

Her civic work spans several organizations. She has served as secretary of the Illinois Latino Judges Association, board member and governance committee chair of the Community Memorial Foundation, and board member at Trinity High School.

Endorsements

All 14 bar associations that interviewed and evaluated Ayala-Gonzalez rated her "Qualified" and recommended her for retention, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. No bar group found her unqualified.

Candidate information is drawn from the Committee for Retention of Judges, Cook County Circuit Court records and BallotReady election data. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.