Ken Griffin’s Millions Could Flip Illinois Supreme Court on Abortion and Unions
- GOP eyes control of state high court for first time since 1969
- Illinois is only state in Midwest to codify legal abortions
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Republicans are seeking to regain control of Illinois’s highest court for the first time in more than 50 years, with decisions on abortion access and workers’ rights on the line. If they win, they can thank billionaire Ken Griffin.
Voters on Nov. 8 will pick their candidates in two judicial races to serve a decade-long term on the state Supreme Court, which the Republicans haven’t controlled since 1969. Democrats currently have a 4-3 majority, which narrowed from 5-2 in 2004. The margin has been put at risk recently after a big push by Republican contributors led by Griffin, the founder of hedge fund Citadel, who contributed more than $10 million in the past two years to a group supporting Republican justices.