An Illinois Supreme Court justice seeking retention is again embroiled in a big-money campaign, this time with a group of plaintiffs' attorneys contributing more than $1 million in hopes of ousting him.

Voters in Illinois' 37 southernmost counties will decide Nov. 4 whether Republican Lloyd Karmeier keeps the Illinois Supreme Court seat he won in 2004. That was one of the nation's most-expensive judicial races. At least 60 percent of the voters must side with him if he's to win.

Several plaintiffs' attorneys and lawyers hope to unseat Karmeier. Their "Campaign for 2016" has collected more than $1 million and television commercials now airing in southern Illinois accuse the justice of being beholden to corporations.

Karmeier's campaign manager, Ron Deedrick, says Karmeier's opponents are wrongly smearing the justice.