 Both in Illinois and Washington D.C. it was widely reported he was at the top of the U.S. Supreme Court nominee "short list".After Solfisburg's death, Edward M.Burke, "The Dean of The Chicago City Council", long time Daley associate, presented a resolution that was unanimously passed and signed by Richard M. Daley concluding "Whereas, Justice Solfisburg proved to be a wise and effective judge during his nine years on the Supreme Court and contributed greatly to the legal system in Illinois – May 22nd, 1991 Resolution, The City Council, City of Chicago, Illinois.The significance of Burke's honoring Solfisburg, a former active Republican, derives from Burke's role as the longtime chairman of the judicial slating subcommittee of the Cook County Democratic Party, as Illinois judges are elected in partisan elections.