The Ballot Brief
Will County, Illinois

Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro

O'Brien was on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official Will 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

Erin O'Brien is on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy in the 5th Subcircuit of the 12th Judicial Circuit (the seat vacated by the Hon. Petrungaro). The 12th Judicial Circuit covers Will County, but this subcircuit seat is elected only by voters inside its own subcircuit boundaries (this county list cannot narrow which part; check your sample ballot or county clerk). 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 › Will County › Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro

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
Will 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, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro
No report found yet

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

Erin O'Brien

Erin O'Brien

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Keeping politics out of the courtroom and following the law impartially
  • Making the judicial system more efficient
  • Holding offenders accountable
Biography

O'Brien is an attorney and small business owner who opened a Joliet family law practice in 2008, handling divorce, child support, and custody cases and conducting more than 700 court-appointed and voluntary mediations, per the campaign site. O'Brien previously handled personal injury and criminal defense cases in Will County and has served as past president of the Will County Bar Association, per the campaign site.

Next on the ballotIllinois Senate District 14

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro in 2026?

One candidate was tracked for Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Erin O'Brien. Candidate information follows official Will County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro 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 Will 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, 12th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. Petrungaro 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 Will County and state election office filings, last verified November 2, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Will County ballot

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

Also on the November 3 ballot
Illinois Senate District 15Illinois Senate District 17Illinois Senate District 21See all 37 Will County races
Candidate profiles
Erin O'Brien, full profileOfficial Illinois election office