2 candidates are tracked for Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Raccuglia on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Melissa Olivero and Michelle A. Vescogni. Candidate information follows official Bureau County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Melissa Olivero and Michelle A. Vescogni are on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy on the 13th Judicial Circuit Court (the seat vacated by the Hon. Raccuglia). The 13th Judicial Circuit covers Bureau, Grundy and LaSalle counties; every voter there votes on this seat. Illinois circuit judgeships are decided in contested partisan elections, unlike judicial retention questions. Listed from the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list.
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
Illinois › Bureau County › Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Raccuglia
Democratic
Melissa Olivero is a Peru attorney and retired U.S. Administrative Law Judge who served on the National Labor Relations Board and Social Security Administration from 2011 to 2025, per her 2026 Shaw Local questionnaire. Per her campaign site, she is a former LaSalle County Assistant State's Attorney, an Army military police veteran, and served ten years on the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees, including four as chair.
Republican
No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Who is running for Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Raccuglia in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Raccuglia on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Melissa Olivero and Michelle A. Vescogni. Candidate information follows official Bureau County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. Raccuglia election in Illinois?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Illinois are on the Illinois election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Bureau County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Bureau County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Illinois election office, or see the full Bureau County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
7 tracked races in Bureau County, Illinois. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.