Kane County Judge, Supreme Court Candidate, Defends Party Switching
Kane County Judge John Noverini, who switched from Republican to Democrat to run for Circuit Judge in 2008 and is now seeking a Supreme Court seat as a Republican. (Photo: Noverini website)
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Kane County Judge John Noverini, who is running in the Republican primary newly drawn 2nd Supreme Court next month, is defending his track record of switching parties.
Noverini was a Republican Kane County Board member who left the party and ran for judge in 2008 as a Democrat. In 2022, Noverini has switched parties again to seek the redrawn 2nd District seat on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Noverini, from suburban Carpentersville, faces Lake County Circuit Judge Dan Shanes in the GOP primary. Noverini called me late Wednesday and I wanted to share some of his responses with you.
Novereni told the Daily Herald at the time of his 2007 switch from Republican to Democrat that “I want to be a judge and believe the best way to accomplish that goal is to take the bold step of aligning myself with a party that better reflects my views concerning public service.”
But he told The Illinoize this week changing parties was to capitalize on being drawn into a Democrat-leaning judicial subcircuit.
“I saw an opportunity. And when in America has it become a bad thing to take advantage of an opportunity,” he said. “I had to make it believable for the Democrats.”
We asked if that meant he was lying to voters about who he was and what he believed in 2007 and 2008.
“No. As judge you don’t talk about the issues,” he said. Though he claimed he told Democratic party leaders at the time he was pro-life.
“I never changed who I was,” he said. “I just changed parties because the Republican vehicle couldn’t get me to where I wanted to go.”
Records from the Kane County Clerk’s office show Noverini hasn’t voted in a Republican primary since 2016. He voted in a Democratic primary for local races in 2021 and pulled a non-partisan ballot in 2020. He did not vote in partisan primaries in 2018 and 2014.
How do Republican voters trust that he’s a Republican now?
“I don’t just get into a race to spend a lot of money and time. This takes a toll on your family,” he said. “If I don’t think I got a shot at winning, I don’t get into the race.”