SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement after Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka passed away early this morning:

“Judy Barr Topinka was one of a kind. She was a staunch Republican, but she also believed fervently that party labels simply did not matter in getting the business of the people done.

“The people of Illinois loved JBT. She was a powerhouse in the western suburbs. Even in liberal bastions like Oak Park, she ran head and shoulders ahead of other Republican candidates. People knew Judy was Judy. Labels didn't matter to them either. They knew that she was a straight talker, a straight shooter, and would always put the interests of the people we represent before anything else.

“Judy appreciated the tremendous honor of public service, as well as the brutal nature of campaigns. Through it all, no one was quicker with an ‘Atta boy’ or a ‘Keep your chin up!’ She loved her job and she loved all of us who served with her, in one way or another.

“We will miss her greatly.  Judy Barr Topinka will never be replaced.”