Nancy Rotering: Illinois Supreme Court Candidate In 2nd District

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Patch distributed questionnaires to candidates running in contested races in the Democratic and Republican parties ahead of Illinois' June 28 primary elections, including all seven candidates competing for a chance at a 10-year term on the Illinois Supreme Court in the recently redistricted 2nd Judicial District.

The new district is composed of DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry counties.

Three Democrats and four Republicans will appear on the ballot in their respective party primaries after an Illinois State Election Board ruling tossing three of them off the ballot as a result of a dispute over the minimum number of signatures was overruled by a a judge in Cook County.

Once Illinois Supreme Court justices are elected or appointed to the court, they do not face challengers. Instead, they face retention elections where they need only 60 percent of those who vote in the race to say "yes" instead of "no".

The second candidate to submit a response to the Patch questionnaire was Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. Her answers are presented below in their entirety.

Name
Nancy Rodkin Rotering

Campaign website
https://www.NancyRoteringForJustice.com

What county do you live in?
Lake

City or town of residence
Highland Park

Office sought
Illinois Supreme Court Justice - Second District, which includes Lake, McHenry, Kane, Kendall and DeKalb Counties.

Party affiliation
Democratic

Education/Experience
I’ve been an attorney for over 30 years. My undergraduate degree in economics is from Stanford University. I have an MBA from Northwestern and after working for a few years in Detroit in the Treasurer’s Office at General Motors, I earned my law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. My practice at McDermott Will & Emery was in health care law where I worked on corporate transactions, taxation, real estate deals, regulation and compliance, and general counsel work, with a specialty investigating fraud and abuse. When our oldest son developed Type 1 diabetes at age 2, I needed to step off the corporate ladder to care for him. Fast forward a few years, he was in public school and the nurse was only there 3 hours a day, while he has diabetes 24 hours a day. I became his advocate, maneuvering through the school system, focusing on Section 504 issues, and ensuring that he had the necessary accommodations. Out of that experience, my legal practice pivoted to become one of counseling dozens of other families with kids with chronic diseases, working to even the playing fields for their students, and also advocating on their behalf before the Illinois General Assembly, creating impactful state legislation. In 2009, after leading a neighborhood charge to improve area public safety, I ran for City Council. Immediately, my legal experience caused me to have concerns about the city’s leadership, and two years later I ran for mayor. I am now in my third term as mayor. As a Mayor, I’ve prioritized worker safety and I’ve prioritized public safety. In 2013, following the tragedy of Sandy Hook, we passed a law banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and fought the NRA all the way to the US Supreme Court. I am proud to say that I worked alongside our corporation counsel defining our legal strategies and drafting the ordinance. We prevailed and that law still stands. At my direction, we also took on ComEd for their failure to provide reliable electrical services – working with then AG Lisa Madigan – hosting Illinois House hearings and getting the Illinois Commerce Commission involved, resulting in significant improvements in the infrastructure of northeast Illinois’ electrical grid. I have always been committed to access to justice, and over seven years ago, I started a legal aid clinic. We now provide free legal services in Lake and Cook counties to over 1,300 people a year in the areas of immigration, housing and domestic violence. Additionally, I teach Women and American Political Leadership at Northwestern University, educating the next generation of advocates and leaders.

Occupation
I have been an attorney for over 30 years. I am in my twelfth year as Mayor of Highland Park, and I just completed my fourth year teaching at Northwestern University.

Family
I have been married to Rob Rotering for over 32 years, and we have four terrific sons, ages 20-27.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No one in my family works for the State of Illinois. My oldest son works for US Senator Richard Durbin in Washington, DC.

Age
I will be 60 years old.

Previous public office, appointive or elective

I was elected Mayor of Highland Park in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019. Prior to being elected Mayor, I was elected to the Highland Park City Council in 2009.

I was appointed to the Highland Park Plan Commission in 2006 and was appointed to the Highland Park Environment Commission in 2005. I also serve as the Chair of the Highland Park Liquor Control Commission.

I was appointed to represent Lake County on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Board of Directors and have served in that role since 2019.

I served as a Member then Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Northwest Municipal Conference starting in 2011 and just completed my term as President of the organization.

I have served as a member of the Local Government Advisory Board of the Office of the Illinois Comptroller since 2017.

I am also a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Executive Committee.

Why are you seeking this office?

As an attorney for over 30 years, I am running for Illinois Supreme Court to continue my public service work promoting and ensuring access to justice for all. I will be focused on upholding the rule of law and making sure that all Illinoisians have the fair and balanced adjudication of the major issues facing our state. I have a record of holding major interests responsible and cleaning up government – something we need now more than ever in Illinois. In this role, I will continue to put my background in the law and business, coupled with my public service commitment to ethics and accountability, to work for the people of Illinois.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is access to justice. What I intend to do about it involves a three-pronged approach. First, we need to make the court system more accessible to people, whether through simplifying forms, explaining what can be achieved by going to court, improving physical accessibility, removing language barriers, emphasizing remote access, improving signage, and considering the provision of an ambassador or ombudsman program.

Additionally, we need to put resources behind legal aid. Right now, access to free or reduced cost attorneys is significantly diminished due to insufficient resources. As the founder of the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, I understand first-hand how greatly access to legal aid can impact a person’s or family’s quality of life.

Further, we need to address the insufficient resources for public defenders in our state. Many counties are not able to provide adequate public defense. The Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure and the US Constitution require adequate representation. Given how many of our pro se or self-represented litigants are challenged by mental health issues or addiction, it is unconscionable to expect them to represent themselves in these difficult circumstances. Additionally, sufficient pretrial services are critical, particularly as we begin to implement the new elements of the SAFE-T Act and reform the criminal justice system.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Personal PAC.

Additionally, I bring a diverse and unique set of experiences and perspectives along with a record of achievement across a broad range of subject matters that are pertinent to the issues addressed by the Court. I am the only candidate who has worked consistently and directly with a police department, and I directly participated in the legislative discussions pertaining to the new criminal justice reform laws being implemented in Illinois.

I am the only candidate who strategized on the drafting of an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban that successfully withstood a challenge from the NRA all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and prevailed.

If you are challenging an incumbent, how would you perform differently if elected?

This is an open seat. There is no incumbent.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I am addressing the importance of the Illinois Supreme Court in ensuring that the rights of all Illinoisans are protected under the Illinois constitution regardless of decisions made on the federal level by the U.S. Supreme Court.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The issues I face and the skills that I use as Mayor – holding hearings, following rules of procedure, ensuring due process, gathering facts, identifying issues, fairly and impartially adjudicating complex and difficult decisions that can impact thousands of people, all translate to this role on the Supreme Court. Many of the matters that come before the court would benefit from the perspective of someone who has had twelve years of experience working with the police, as well as members of the Illinois General Assembly as they reform our criminal justice system. I understand the direct impacts of workers compensation laws and public safety pension rulings. I’ve initiated and succeeded on constitutional issues, stood up to major interests, and I have a record of strong ethics, transparency, and independence.

As we move into this new era in criminal justice reform, we need someone who recognizes the need to provide resources for pretrial services and public defenders throughout the state, who understands what is needed to address the mental health and trauma challenges faced by so many, and the steps needed to reduce recidivism.

What was your first paying job, and what did you learn from it?

I worked in food service and washed dishes. I learned the value of a fair paycheck for a day's work and that all work should be respected.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I ever received was from my late father. He always stressed the importance of healing the world: speaking out against injustice, taking steps to fix a bad situation, helping the vulnerable. This advice has guided my decisions professionally and personally. Teaching advocacy, creating not for profits, and my decades of public service have all stemmed from that advice.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am the only candidate in this race endorsed by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action and Personal PAC.