Cook County Circuit Court Judge Celestia L. Mays faces voters on Nov. 3 in a nonpartisan retention election. North Shore residents in Cook County will see the question on their ballots: should Mays keep her seat?

Retention races draw less attention than contested elections, but the outcome matters. Circuit court judges handle family disputes, probate cases, criminal trials and civil lawsuits. A "yes" vote keeps the judge on the bench. A "no" vote removes them.

Candidate information

  • Office: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit
  • Race: Retain Mays? (nonpartisan retention)
  • Election: Nov. 3, 2026, Illinois General Election
  • Education: Juris doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law; bachelor's degree in political science and communications from the University of Michigan

Experience and public service

Judge Mays was appointed to the Circuit Court of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. She was elected an associate judge in 2019 and elected a circuit judge in 2020.

Before joining the bench, Mays ran her own firm, Celestia L. Mays, P.C., for over 22 years. Her practice concentrated in family law, probate law and residential real estate closings, according to the committee's profile.

Mays served as centennial president of the Cook County Bar Association in 2014–2015, according to the CCBA's past presidents page. She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Theta Omega Chapter) and a board member of the CCBA Foundation.

She holds memberships in the Illinois Judicial Council, Illinois Judges Association, National Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She previously served on the board of the Illinois Judicial Council.

Endorsements

All 13 bar associations that evaluate Cook County judges unanimously recommended Mays for retention, according to WTTW's 2026 General Election Voter Guide. The recommending associations are AABR, AABA, BMLA, BWLA, CCL, CCBA, DSL, HBA, HLAI, ISBA, LAGBAC, PRBA and WBAI.

The Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Illinois State Bar Association each rated Mays "Qualified" or higher for the 2020 Cook County Circuit Court election for the Funderburk vacancy, according to WTTW News.

Candidate information is drawn from the Committee for Retention of Judges, BallotReady and WTTW's voter guide. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.