The Ballot Brief
Clay County, Illinois

Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman

Mathis was on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official Clay County election filings. Certified results will appear here once the election office certifies the count. Illinois certifies the general election by December 4, 2026; county canvasses are due November 24. Official results: www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionVoteTotals.aspx.

About this race

Brenda Mathis is on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy on the 4th Judicial Circuit Court (the seat vacated by the Hon. Jarman). The 4th Judicial Circuit covers Christian, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery and Shelby counties; every voter there votes on this seat. Illinois circuit judgeships are decided in contested partisan elections, unlike judicial retention questions. Listed from the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. One name is on the ballot for this seat.

This list comes from official election records but may be incomplete. It can miss, for example, late or petition candidates and some city, school and district races. Your official sample ballot is the final word.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

Illinois › Clay County › Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman

Who won? The official answer comes December 4.

Illinois makes results final in three steps.
✓
Done · Nov 3
Votes were cast and counted
Election night totals are a first count, not the final one.
2
Happening now · by Nov 24
Clay County double-checks its count
The county reviews mail ballots, provisional ballots and any recount, then sends official totals to the state.
3
Next · Dec 4
Illinois makes it official
The State Board of Elections certifies the result. The winner appears on this page that day.

What local news is reporting

Not official yetUpdated November 5, 2026

This report is cited to the outlet that published it. We do not call races. Official running count: Illinois official results.

Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman
No report found yet

Reports are checked daily until Illinois certifies on December 4; a certified winner replaces the report on that day.

Brenda Mathis

Republican

Biography

No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Next on the ballotIllinois House District 110

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Voting info and more

Voting info and more
Questions about this race

Who is running for Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman in 2026?

One candidate was tracked for Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Brenda Mathis. Candidate information follows official Clay County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman election in Illinois?

Election Day was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Certified results will appear on this page as the election office certifies them. Illinois certifies the general election by December 4, 2026; county canvasses are due November 24. Official results: https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionVoteTotals.aspx. Voting rules for Illinois are on the Illinois election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Clay County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Who won the Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Jarman race?

Not yet reported by the outlets we checked; Illinois certifies on December 4. We do not call races.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Clay County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Illinois election office, or see the full Clay County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Clay County ballot

3 tracked races in Clay County, Illinois. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on the November 3 ballot
Regional Superintendent of Schools (Regional Office of Education #12)See all 3 Clay County races
Candidate profiles
Brenda Mathis, full profileOfficial Illinois election office