The only contested race for judge in the 11th Judicial Subcircuit, which includes Oak Park but not River Forest, is between a career prosecutor and a veteran lawyer who began her career as a public defender.
Just as is typically the case in the courtroom the prosecutor in this contest seems to have most of the advantages in this race.
Assistant State’s Attorney Kim Przekota has worked as an assistant Cook County State’s Attorney since graduating from the DePaul University College of Law in 2008. She is now a first chair prosecutor at Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26th and California, where she focuses on prosecuting murder cases and supervising two other prosecutors assigned to the same courtroom.
Przekota, a resident of Park Ridge, is 41. If elected, and the March 19 Democratic primary is tantamount to election because no Republican has filed to run in the 11th Subcircuit, she would be one of the youngest Cook County Circuit Court judges.
Przekota faces Audrey Cosgrove. Cosgrove, 59, moved to Oak Park last May after living all of her life in Chicago and most of her adult life on the northwest side of Chicago. After graduating from John Marshall Law School, Cosgrove began her career as an assistant Cook County public defender, where she worked for eight years and tried four murder cases. After leaving the Public Defender’s office Cosgrove opened her own law practice where she handled criminal defense, real estate, juvenile and family law while also serving as an administrative law judge for a number of agencies and occasionally working as a lawyer for state agencies. In February, she began a new job as the chief administrative judge for the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. In 2020, Cosgrove ran for judge but finished second in a field of five candidates in the 10th Subcircuit.
Przekota, who was a Division 1 swimmer and water polo player at Iona University and is married to former Fenwick water polo star Chris Przekota, has almost all of the endorsements in the race, including the support of State Senate President Dan Harmon who is also the Democratic Committeeman of Oak Park. Also endorsing Przekota are 29th ward Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 45th ward Ald. Jim Gardiner, state Sen. Laura Murphy, Franklin Park mayor and Leyden Township committeeman Barrett Pederson, Norridge village trustee, Norwood Park Township committeeman Frank Avino Jr., the Chicago Federation of Labor and five different union locals. Cosgrove’s only endorsement is from the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization IVI-IPO.
Harmon said before the endorsement session, a sitting judge called him to praise Przekota as the best lawyer who has ever practiced in front of him.
“I’ve been doing judicial elections for almost three decades, I’ve never (before) had a sitting judge call me to say this is the best lawyer I’ve seen in my courtroom,” Harmon told the Wednesday Journal. “I’ve never heard of judges inviting other judges into the courtroom to watch a lawyer deliver her closing argument. She really has name a name for herself in the courtroom. That distinguished her from the other candidate.”
Another factor helping Przekota get the politician’s endorsement is that she is not from Oak Park. In the other 11th subcircuit vacancy Oak Parker, Dawn Gonzalez, who was appointed to the bench in January, is running unopposed. The 11th Subcircuit runs north from Oak Park to include some near northwest suburbs of Chicago and part of Chicago’s northwest side.
Both Przekota and Cosgrove are rated as recommended or qualified by every bar association that has looked at the race. The only difference is that Cosgrove is rated as highly recommended by the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois while Przekota is only rated as recommended. Bar associations praised the legal ability and temperament of both candidates.
Cosgrove said that she believes that the breadth of her experience makes her more qualified.
“My opponent is a lovely person, she’s qualified, I’ve met her, but she’s been a career prosecutor and I’ve done so much since (leaving the public defender’s office),” Cosgrove told the Wednesday Journal.
Cosgrove said that being a judge would be an opportunity to help more people than she can as a lawyer.
“As an attorney you can only handle the case that’s in front of you but as a judge you have so much opportunity to help people,” she said.
Przekota told the Wednesday Journal that her courtroom experience is what sets her apart and motivated her to run for judge.
She added that she knows how to run a courtroom.
“I am a trial attorney and I’ve worked really, really hard to learn a lot how to be in a courtroom, how to make a courtroom run,” Przekota said.
In addition to being the slated candidate Przekota also has a financial advantage in the race. She has raised $33,300, including $25,000 from her parents who live in Oregon where she grew up.
“They’re being very supportive so I’m very grateful,” Przekota said. Cosgrove is funding her campaign with a $9,750 contribution from her law firm. Cosgrove spent $23,000 of her own money on her 2020 race.
Correction: March 14, 2024, 11:53 a.m.: This story was updated to show Przekota’s name as it appears on the ballot. It is Kim Przekota. We apologize for any confusion.
