Judy Baar Topinka has died from complications of a stroke. She was 70. She had won re-election in November to a second term as state comptroller. Previously, Topinka, a Republican, served 12 years as state treasurer.
Those jobs aren’t high profile or flamboyant, but Topinka was. IPR’s Tony Arnold reports on the style and the substance she brought to Illinois politics.
Let’s start with that style. You might not know what a treasurer or comptroller does exactly, but you probably knew of Judy Baar Topinka.
"I am a Republican. I’m also a conservative, but I’m not crazy."
She had a humor and political style that could pump up Illinois’ sometimes stuffy political scene. It helped her get elected to the state legislature in the 80s. She ran statewide in the 90s and became the first female state treasurer, a job by all accounts she valued.
Lawrence Msall heads the Civic Federation, a budget watchdog group. He says even in the 90sTopinka was warning about bad spending and borrowing habits of state government and some of the practices that have earned Illinois its bad financial reputation.
"Judy BaarTopinka was someone who was both financially conservative, but also very reasonable in wanting to make sure that the State of Illinois paid its bills on time."
As she won more elections, Topinka became more involved in the state Republican Party, becoming its chair. And in 2004 she led the party to a candidate who would spectacularly lose against Barack Obama for the U.S. Senate seat. Remember Alan Keyes?
Two years later, Topinka made the decision to quit her post as treasurer to run for higher office. She ran against Rod Blagojevich for governor. It was an ugly, negative campaign. But after the fact, Topinka said she’d felt an obligation to take on Blagojevich
"I gave up a job I absolutely adored. I loved being state Treasurer. I was good at it. But he had to be stopped. I thought I could do it and I thought that good would triumph over evil. Obviously it did not."
Topinka lost that election. After Blagojevich was arrested, when she was not a candidate for office, Topinka talked in a way most politicians don’t challenging the voters who went for Blagojevich, who eventually went to prison for corruption.
"It makes us all look like a bunch of bozos. Not only that we got taken to the cleaners by this guy for four years, but that we were stupid enough to elect him for a second four years. I mean, what does that say about the people of the State of Illinois."
But she didn’t stay away from politics for long. In 2010, Topinka won the race for state comptroller, that’s the person who writes the checks for the government.
Pat Brady is former chair of the Illinois Republican Party. He says her bounce-back, and moderate politics, should be a model for other Republicans running statewide.
"In Illinois, if you want to win, look at the Judy BaarTopinka model which is the model that Mark Kirk followed. Somewhat the model that Bruce Rauner followed."
Topinka’s been praised for supporting gay rights, from civil unions to, eventually, same sex marriage.
Pat Pavlich says her stands on politics were grounded in her neighborhood life. Pavlich used to be township supervisor for Riverside, Topinka’s home community, and she’s a long time friend.
"I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Houby Day Parade, but that was a favorite of Judy’s. It was a part of her Czech heritage coming out."
Pavlich says even in more recent years, when she’d need a cane or walker, you couldn’t keep Topinka from walking that Houby Day Parade. Just so you know, Houby Day is a festival about mushrooms.
Now Topinka had her vices. She smoked. She liked caffeine. She also liked polka, and Pavlich says she just liked taking care of people and her beloved dogs. And she thrived on the theater of politics and the responsibility of government.
There were others interests too...in the few years she was out of politics, Topinka returned to her early training, journalism, and briefly had her own radio show on a small west suburban-based station, WJJG.
She called it The Judy Show. And it was all she needed to let that charismatic personality come through - until she ran for office again.
"So thank you very much and to all of you for tuning in. Remember us. It’s The Judy Show. Next week, same time, same station. Whoa-ho! Good bye!"