Attorney Carissa Ann Bryant announced her candidacy for 9th Circuit Judge on Tuesday, October 21, on the east steps of the McDonough County Courthouse. The 9th Circuit covers Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren Counties.
Bryant, a lifelong resident of McDonough County, enters the race with a platform focused on fairness, accessibility, and extensive legal experience. She outlined three key principles guiding her campaign: - Ensuring fair and equal treatment for every litigant - Protecting equal access to the justice system - Bringing deep, wellrounded legal experience to the bench “I believe our courts should be places where every person is heard, respected, and treated equally under the law,” Bryant said. “I have dedicated my career to serving people and communities in western Illinois, and I look forward to continuing that service as a judge.”
Bryant graduated from Western Illinois University in 2009 and earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law. During law school, she distinguished herself through the Domestic Violence Clinic, Moot Court, and Trial Advocacy programs, receiving the Award for Excellence in Public Service in 2012. She was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 2013.
Bryant
After law school, Bryant returned to the region and joined the law firm Hartzell, Tucker, and Hartzell in Carthage. She became a partner in 2017 at what is now Tucker, Hartzell & Bryant. Her legal practice spans all counties in the Ninth Circuit and includes contested family law, civil litigation, municipal work, and appellate cases in the Third and Fourth District Appellate Courts.
She is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association and is serving her second term on the Standing Committee for Illinois Civil Practice and Procedure.
Outside of her legal career, Bryant enjoys life on her family’s farm in rural McDonough County with her husband, Justin, and their two sons, Jackson and Lincoln.
At the announcement, Bryant shared more about her background and motivations: “I’m originally from Bushnell, I was raised there and graduated from B-PC High School. After graduating from Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University School of Law, I immediately returned to the area and began working at my current firm,” she said. “I became a partner in 2017.”
When asked what attracted her to run for judge, Bryant said, “I’ve wanted to be a judge for as long as I can remember. I love people and serving them. Throughout my legal career, I’ve helped people with many of the challenges they face. I’m ready to take that service to the next level.”
Bryant explained the position she is seeking: 'The current chief judge of the Ninth Circuit, Judge Kavanaugh, is retiring in December 2026. He is a circuit-at-large judge, meaning he ran in all six counties, and I will be running in all six as well.”
At this time, Bryant has one primary opponent, Judge Chad Long, who is an associate judge from Knox County.
For more information about Bryant’s campaign, visit her Facebook page at Bryant for Circuit Judge.
