Republican Candidate for Illinois Attorney General Joe Cervantez sends this announcement:
Statement of Candidacy
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office plays a vital role in supporting law enforcement, protecting our
children, and securing Illinois prosperity.
The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor of the state and should be an independent voice for the people of Illinois.
Partisanship has no place in an office that is expected to set the standard for justice and due process. The Attorney General’s Office should always place public safety over politics.
Controversial legislation and unnecessary litigation have placed Illinois citizens at a disadvantage and
tied the hands of law enforcement.
The last several years have been challenging for law enforcement and first responders around the country, especially here in Illinois.
Crime continues to threaten our families.
Antisemitic rhetoric is still on the rise on our campuses.
Illegal guns continue to flood our city streets.
Fentanyl and drugs continue to claim lives each day in our neighborhoods.
Truancy rates continue to rise in our communities and juvenile offenders are often left without resources and held unaccountable.
The Attorney General’s Office must lead the way when it comes to public safety.
Strong leadership is required to confront Illinois’s toughest problems.
As a former elected State’s Attorney, I have proven my ability to work alongside law enforcement and properly advise our agencies and elected leaders.
I certainly have proven my dedication to upholding the rule of law, protecting our citizens, and ensuring
justice for the community.
Of course, leading the Attorney General’s Office is a challenge because it has such broad duties.
All the Office’s duties, however, are focused on public safety.
I am ready for this challenge, and I am so proud and honored to announce my candidacy for Illinois Attorney General.
Joseph A. Cervantez
Joe currently works in civil defense. He is a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.
As a seasoned trial attorney, Joe has prosecuted or defended thousands of cases in Illinois from case intake to disposition.
He has experience in both civil and criminal law in state and federal courts, including the investigation and prosecution of several shootings, sexual assaults, and murder cases.
Joe earned a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2006 and his Juris Doctor at Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2012.
After graduation from law school, Joe worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Williamson County
State’s Attorney’s Office and the Saline County State’s Attorney’s Office where he gained valuable experience managing thousands of misdemeanors, juvenile, and felony cases.
Joe became a partner at the law firm of Tetzlaff, Cervantez & Associates, a general practice law firm, where he focused on civil and criminal defense.
He left the law firm after being elected to serve as the Jackson County State’s Attorney from 2020 to 2024.
Joe was the first Republican State’s Attorney elected in Jackson County in over fifty years.
Joe is known throughout his community as being a community involved prosecutor that held shooters and violent offenders accountable.
Joe used his office to base several community programs intended to prevent crime and build relationships.
Prior to law school Joe served as a Squad Leader, Platoon Sergent, and Platoon Commander in the
United State Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve.
He deployed and served in combat multiple times in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
Joe is a recipient of the Combat Action Ribbon along with multiple Navy Achievement Medals and other decorations and awards.
Joe is admitted to practice in Illinois and the Southern District of Illinois.
He is a court approved mediator, adjunct law professor, and holds several professional memberships.
Joe is originally from Waukegan and lived several years around the Chicagoland area.
He relocated in his early twenties to Southern Illinois where he currently still resides.
He has two boys ages 10 and Joe enjoys coaching youth football and has coached for over 18 years.
