Illinois Comptroller Topinka Dead of Stroke at 70

topinka-baar-judy-ill-comptroller-bl.jpg

CHICAGO — Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, admired across party lines for her blunt nature and down-to-earth style, died early Wednesday after suffering a stroke. She was 70.

Condolences and fond remembrances poured in from the state's political circles for Topinka, a Republican who had also previously held the treasurer's post. She also had made a bid for governor, losing to Rod Blagojevich in 2006.

"I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of my friend, Judy Baar Topinka," said outgoing Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat.

"Never without her signature sense of humor, Judy was a force of nature. She left her mark on the state she has called home her entire life. Her leadership improved Illinois and paved the way for countless women in politics," Quinn said.

"Comptroller Topinka's magnetic, one-of-a-kind personality brought a smile to everyone she met, and she had a servant's heart, always only caring about what was best for the people of our state," Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner said in a statement.

"She was loved and will always be remembered because she was outspoken, independent and completely dedicated to the state," said state Senate President John Cullerton. "Her fierce advocacy and bipartisan leadership as a legislator and constitutional officer will continue to be a model for women and men entering public service in Illinois."

Topinka was to be sworn in to a second term next month. In November, Topinka won re-election over Democratic challenger Sheila Simon, the lieutenant governor.

The state's budgeting process and debt management are in the hands of the governor's administration, but the comptroller's voice carries weight on state finances, ratings, and policies. The comptroller pays the state's bills and payroll and maintains state and local fiscal records.

The office publishes monthly and quarterly reports on the state's fiscal condition and its reports on the size of the bill backlog are closely followed by analysts and investors as a sign of the state's liquidity position.

During her tenure, she modernized some office practices and overhauled the website, launched a daily bill ledger and a portal for local government finances.

Topinka, a native of the Chicago suburbs, broke with her party and during the campaign supported at least a temporary extension of the 2011 income tax hike that partially expires Jan. 1. She warned the state can't afford the expected loss of $1.9 billion of revenue during fiscal 2015 and $2.9 billion in fiscal 2016.

During the campaign, she compared her job to being a "skunk at a picnic" due to state's overdue bills and would sometimes wear black and white faux skunk slippers to highlight the point.

Topinka, a former journalist, won the comptroller's office in 2010. She previously served as treasurer between 1994 and 2007. She is the first woman to hold both offices.

She also served two terms in the state House and served for a decade as a state senator and was chairwoman of the state GOP. The accordion, piano and guitar player who loved to polka graduated from Northwestern University's journalism school and began her professional career as a reporter for a suburban newspaper group.

Quinn did not say in his statement whether he would name a successor until a special election is held or let Rauner make the choice after his January inaguration.  A spokesman for the comptroller's office, Bradley Hahn, said "the office would continue to function in the coming days through our existing structure of a Chief of Staff and two Assistant Comptrollers. How a successor is appointed State Comptroller comes down to state law, which will be addressed by the Attorney General's Office."

The state constitution reads that if constitutional officers fail to "qualify or if his office becomes vacant, the Governor shall fill the office by appointment. The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as may be provided by law and shall not be subject to removal by the governor. "

President Obama, who began his political career as an Illinois state senator, issued a statement saying: "Judy was an institution in Illinois politics. Judy was a fierce advocate for her constituents, which I got to see firsthand when she was state treasurer — the first woman to hold that office. She was blunt, pragmatic, unfailingly cheerful and energetic, and always willing to put politics aside to find commonsense solutions that made a difference for the people of Illinois."

Topinka is survived by a son, Joseph Topinka, and granddaughter.

 

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Illinois
MORE FROM BOND BUYER