08/14/2026
I'm deeply grateful to share that I've earned the endorsement of recently retired Presiding Judge Christy W. Solverson.
Judge Solverson has spent more than 20 years serving Jackson County's justice system, first as an Associate Judge starting in 2005, then as an elected Circuit Judge in 2018, when she also became the first woman to serve as Presiding Judge in Jackson County history. During her time on the bench, she created the Jackson County Drug Court, launched the county's Therapy Dog Program, and built the Court Resource Center to help self-represented litigants navigate the system. She also helped expand CASA across Southern Illinois, led our courts' reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped establish the Carbondale Safety Panel and the Jackson County Collaborative Task Force. Her impact on this county is hard to overstate, and I've admired her work for years.
Her endorsement means the world to me:
"I am happy to support Ben Reed to fill the vacancy of Resident Circuit Judge in Jackson County. Ben has the qualities essential to serving the people of Jackson County as Judge. Ben is well respected in the legal community. He has the knowledge, temperament and integrity required of a Judge. I have no doubt that Ben will follow the law and treat all people equally, with dignity and respect." - Judge Christy W. Solverson, Presiding Judge, First Judicial Circuit (retired)
Thank you, Judge Solverson, for your decades of service to Jackson County, and for your trust in this next chapter. I don't take it lightly.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. I'd be honored to have your vote for Resident Circuit Judge.
