Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke is returning nearly one million dollars to her campaign contributors. A campaign spokesperson says she raised the money before she knew she’d be unopposed for re-election.

Burke plans to keep about 500-thousand dollars to distribute to other Dem candidates for judge in Cook County - but she’s returning a bulk of her campaign war chest.

Cindi Canary heads the Illionois Campaign for Political Reform. She says the move to return the money is extremely rare.

CANARY: I think she should be commended for recognizing that as an unopposed candidate she doesn’t need this kind of money and returning it as opposed to spending it just to spend it.

Canary says she’s not surprised Burke doesn’t have a challenger to her seat. Burke has been on the Supreme Court for more than a decade.