By a vote of 143-102, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ peers on Thursday voted for him to keep the job he’s held since 2001.

Evans will serve in that role for another three years, having defeating challenger Circuit Court Judge Lorna Propes, who ran on a platform advocating for term limits.

“Eighteen years is too long,” Propes said in a campaign video posted to YouTube, bemoaning problems within Cook County’s court system that she said were the result of “complacency and bureaucratic inertia that sets in when an administration stays too long.”

Evans defended his longevity, noting the U.S. Supreme Court justices’ lifetime appointments.

“They don’t have term limits there. And the reason they don’t is because they value experience and tenacity and capability,” Evans told reporters after his election.

The vote took place in a closed-door meeting; a sign outside read “Circuit Judges Only.” Both Evans and Propes gave speeches before judges cast their secret ballots.

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