Christina Kye, a Democratic candidate and sitting circuit judge, faces Republican Michael W. Fleming in the November 3, 2026 election for the 18th Circuit’s 4th Subcircuit, Wilson vacancy. The race appears in DuPage County’s official candidate listing. Voters’ judicial subcircuits depend on their address.
Legal career and approach
According to her campaign biography, Kye became a circuit judge following a unanimous Illinois Supreme Court appointment. Before joining the bench, she spent more than 15 years as a prosecutor, first in Cook County and then DuPage County. Her work included criminal trials and cases involving sex crimes and domestic violence.
Kye earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Her campaign emphasizes fairness, access to the courts and diversity within the legal profession. It describes her mentoring of attorneys and law students and service with Asian American legal organizations.
Judicial rating
The 2026 joint judicial advisory poll lists Kye as Recommended. The poll reflects participating lawyers’ assessments; it is not an endorsement or a prediction of election results.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.
