Ex-DuPage state's attorney reflects on Topinka fondly

Joe Birkett had ruled out a run for any statewide office in late 2005 when Judy Baar Topinka met him for dinner.

Topinka, then a GOP candidate for governor, convinced the then-DuPage County state's attorney to be her running mate.

"She made the case," said Birkett, who is now an appellate judge. "I decided that I was going to jump in and run with her. I'm happy that I did. I enjoyed every minute of it."

On Wednesday, Birkett remembered Topinka as a hardworking, staight-talking public servant who always was looking for the best deal for the taxpayers.

"She was a great leader," Birkett said. "She was one of a kind. My heart goes out to her family and all of her friends. It's a great loss for them and for Illinois."

Topinka and Birkett officially became running mates when voters nominated each of them in the 2006 primary election. During the gubernatorial campaign, Topinka was billed as the moderate and Birkett was the conservative. Both agreed, however, the state needed a parental notification of teenage abortion law.

They also agreed the lieutenant governor should have an expanded role in state government. Birkett said Topinka wanted his job to include serving as director of Homeland Security for Illinois.

"She knew how to run an organization," Birkett said. "Delegation is a big part of that. She had a lot of a trust in me, and I felt very confident that she was going to be a strong leader for our state."

Birkett said there was never a dull moment with Topinka on the campaign trail, adding that she had a great sense of humor.

One time, Topinka was getting into a van holding a hot cup of coffee when the bottom of the cup dropped out, spilling coffee everywhere.

"She said, 'Well, it's a good thing I have dark pants on today,'" Birkett recalled.

The paper cup broke because Topinka kept reusing it. That's because she didn't want the cup to go to waste.

"She didn't waste anything," Birkett said. "She was very frugal. She was always looking for the best deal - not just for herself but for Illinois."

Topinka bounced back politically from her 2006 defeat to Rod Blagojevich to be elected state comptroller in 2010. Birkett said it's evidence of how much voters in Illinois loved Topinka.

"We got a good deal when we elected Judy Baar Topinka," Birkett said. "She's going to be greatly missed."