Rockford lawyer Nick Meyer beats out Eric Carl Jacobs

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Rockford Legal Director Nicholas Meyer defeated Judge Eric Carl Jacobs Tuesday night in the race for 17th Circuit Court judge.

According to unofficial results in Rockford, Winnebago and Boone counties, Meyer received 35,079 votes, or 55.6%, to Jacobs’ 27,994 votes, or 44.4%.

Meyer was previously an assistant public defender and in private practice with the Rockford-based firm Meyer & Horning, PC, founded by his father, when Mayor Tom McNamara named him Rockford’s legal director in 2017.

A Rockford native, Meyer lives in the city with his wife Marissa and three children. He received his law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Western Illinois University.

Jacobs is a Rockford resident with over thirty years of legal experience. Jacobs was a partner at Cicero, France & Alexander in Rockford when he was appointed 17th District Court judge in Winnebago and Boone counties in August 2023 following the retirement of Joe McGraw.

Jacobs earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Iowa and a law degree with honors from Northern Illinois University. Jacobs served as a hearing officer for Winnebago County for more than two decades and was general counsel for the Rockford Area Apartment Association.

Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached by phone at (815) 987-1374 or by email at: [email protected] and on X @jeffkolkey.