Barry Vaughan, Republican candidate for 5th District Appellate Court
Name: Barry Vaughan
Political party: Republican
Age as of June 28, 2022: 59
Campaign website or social media page: JusticeVaughan.com Facebook: Vaughan4Justice
Office seeking: 5th District Appellate Court Justice
Are you an incumbent? Yes
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought) Wayne County State’s Attorney
Occupation: Justice on 5th District Appellate Court
Education: B.A. political science, J.D SIU Law School
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: President Fairfield Lions Club, President Hamilton County Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow, President Hamilton County Fair Association, volunteer high school golf coach
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Judges are prohibited from directly fundraising or being aware of contributors.
Why are you running? I have 34 years legal experience including eight as an elected prosecutor, six years as a solo practice law office, city and village attorney, school attorney, almost 20 years as a trial judge and for the last 16 months as an appellate judge. I’m the only candidate who has served as an elected prosecutor. I’m the only candidate with appellate experience. I’m the only candidate who was recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association lawyer poll and evaluation committee. I have served as faculty at the Illinois Judicial College Education Conference since 2014. I was selected by Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet and approved unanimously by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the appellate court. My experience and qualifications compare favorably with my opponents.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? My experience and dedication to fairness along with the fact that I am the only candidate with experience with almost every area of the law make me the best person to continue on the appellate court.
Why should people vote for you? With my background growing up on a farm, working in the oilfields, working through Laborers’ Local 1197 as a construction worker, I have demonstrated a commitment to hard work. With my community involvement as a deacon in my Southern Baptist Church, working as a basketball referee since 2011, coaching high school golf, and obtaining my school bus driver’s license I have demonstrated a desire to serve my community. With my almost 20 years on the bench as a trial and appellate judge, serving as a mentor judge, a custody mediator, serving on three supreme court committees, and chairman of the judicial performance committee I have demonstrated the experience necessary to do a good job. With the assignment to the appellate court by the Illinois Supreme Court, and my rating as “recommended” by the ISBA lawyer poll and the ISBA investigation committee I have demonstrated the confidence of my peers to continue on the appellate court. When I ran for retention in 2020 as a trial judge in the 2nd Judicial Circuit I received the highest retention vote anyone in the 2nd Circuit has ever received demonstrating the confidence of the public in my abilities.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 6:00 AM.