The Ballot Brief
Illinois
Candidate profile

James A. Knecht

Nonpartisan · Illinois · 2026 · Incumbent

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Judicial Retention, Appellate Court Judge James A. Knecht (4th Judicial District)Illinois · 2026Macon County sample ballot
Biography

James A. Knecht is a sitting justice of the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court, per the Illinois Courts judicial directory. He graduated with honors from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1973, clerked for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Underwood, and served as an Associate Circuit Judge and then Circuit Judge before his election to the Fourth District Appellate Court in 1986, per his Illinois Courts biography. He chairs the Appellate Court Administrative Committee and has taught as an adjunct professor at Illinois State University and the University of Illinois College of Law, per the same source.

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Profile facts follow official election office filings and the sources cited in each biography. Roster last verified September 29, 2026. Official sources are the final word on who appears on your ballot.

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