Cook County Circuit Court Judge Edward A. Arce will ask voters to keep him on the bench on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. North Shore residents in Cook County will see his name on the general election ballot as a yes-or-no retention question.

No opponent appears on the ballot.

In a retention election, voters decide whether a sitting judge should continue serving. The Illinois Supreme Court first appointed Arce to the Circuit Court in 2008, according to the Illinois Latino Judges Association. Voters in the Fourteenth Subcircuit elected him, then retained him in 2014 and again in 2020.

Candidate information

  • Name: Edward A. Arce
  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois (1981); law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology (1985)
  • Family: Married, father of three adult children, grandfather of four

Arce is a son of Mexican immigrants. He was born and educated in Chicago, where he also practiced law, according to the Illinois Latino Judges Association.

Experience and public service

Before joining the bench, Arce worked as a partner at Whitcup & Arce P.C. from 1986 to 2008, according to BallotReady. After his 2008 appointment to the Circuit Court, he served in the Domestic Relations Division at the Sixth Municipal District in Markham from 2008 to March 2014, according to the Chicago Council of Lawyers' judicial directory. He has served as a Circuit Court judge from 2008 to the present, according to BallotReady.

In addition to his courtroom work, Arce has served as faculty for new judge orientation and at biennial judicial education conferences, according to the Illinois Latino Judges Association.

Bar association evaluations

The Chicago Council of Lawyers rated Arce "Qualified" in both his November 2014 and November 2020 retention elections, according to the council's judicial directory.

  • Chicago Council of Lawyers: Qualified (2014 retention)
  • Chicago Council of Lawyers: Qualified (2020 retention)

No additional endorsements or evaluations for the 2026 retention election appear in available records.

Candidate profile information was drawn from the Illinois Latino Judges Association, BallotReady and the Chicago Council of Lawyers' judicial directory. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.