Rest in Peace, Judy Baar Topinka

Timothy Kincaid

December 10th, 2014

Topinka

The state of Illinois and the gay community has lost a treasure. (Chicago Tribune)

Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, long one of the state’s most colorful and outspoken elected officials, died early Wednesday of complications from a stroke she suffered Tuesday, her chief of staff said. Ms. Topinka was 70.

Illinois politics has always been a carnival, providing colorful characters and unexpected storylines. Tales of shady dealings abound. Some still insist that voter fraud by Mayor Daley won the 1960 election for Kennedy and no one seems at all surprised that four of the last seven governors went to jail for fraud or racketeering or blatantly trying to sell government positions to the highest bidder.

The Illinois Republican Party has also been a whirl of grand-scale spectacle where in the past few decades much of the brouhaha has been over social issues, particularly gay rights.

The stomping grounds of such characters as Peter LaBarbera, the Prairie State GOP has it’s share of anti-gay activists. But it also is home to Senator Kirk, a marriage supporter, and former state party chairman Pat Brady who in 2013 was an active campaigner for the marriage equality bill.

Republicans in the Land of Lincoln are not, on the whole, pro-gay. But there is a far greater tolerance for pro-gay politicians there than in many GOP circles. And no small part of that is due to Judy Baar Topinka, a GOP politician who never balked at letting her support of the community be known.

In many respects, Ms. Topinka could be considered the matriarch of the moderate wing of the state Republican Party. A fiscal conservative, she was an early advocate of abortion and gay rights, positions which often put her at odds with members of the socially conservative wing of the GOP.

“I don’t know that I was ever the choice of the party regulars,” Topinka said during her 2006 run for governor. “One fellow told me, ‘You are never going to get anywhere. You don’t run with the big dogs.’ OK, well, you know, now, the big dogs are either retired, dead or in prison. So here I am.”

Topinka started her career as a news reporter and in 1980 she ran for state representative. After two terms, she was elected to the state senate and then to the position of State Treasurer, where she served for 18 years. From 2002 to 2005, she served as the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and in 2006 Topinka was the GOP nominee for Governor, losing to Rod Blagojevich.

In 2010 she was elected State Comptroller, a position to which she was reelected last month.

topinka gay prideTopinka was a unique character. In a heavily partisan state, she was a maverick who spoke her mind, didn’t mince words, and would accept the ideas of anyone who would help her achieve her goals. In a world of polished politicians, she shopped at resale stores and garage sales and played polka on the accordion.

And she earned the respect of those of all political persuasion who worked with her.

And for much of her political career, she was a visible advocate for the community. A regular in the pride parades and seen campaigning in gay bars, Topinka used her position to help the community achieve funding for the construction of a community center. She was a supporter of the marriage bill and was on the dais when Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill.

Thank you, Judy, and rest in peace.

Nathaniel

December 10th, 2014

Thanks for letting us know about this classy lady, Jim. I wish there were more politicians like her.

Hunter

December 11th, 2014

I still regret not voting for her when she ran against Blagojavich for governor, but at the time the GOP in Illinois was dominated by the likes of Jim Oberweis and I couldnt’ bring myself to vote Republican. (I voted Green Party for governor in that election — I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Blago, either.)

She was one of the better public servants — and I mean exactly that — we’ve had in this state, from a long tradition of moderate Republicans — or, as they used to be known, just “Republicans.”

MattNYC

December 11th, 2014

Speaking of Illinois and gay issues, I heard this report yesterday morning on WHYY in Philadelphia:

A conversation with Terry Mutcher about her book, Under this Beautiful Dome

http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2014/12/08/30172/

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