LETTER: Tom Kilbride deserves your vote for Supreme Court Justice

I have known Tom Kilbride for years — since long before he ran for the Supreme Court. Twenty years ago, I urged him to run for the Court even though he had never run for election before.

A friend contacted me this week asking my opinion about Tom Kilbride, because she and her husband had been seeing ads saying that he was “Madigan’s guy.” This is what I told her:

“Tom Kilbride is the most down-to-earth person you would ever meet and is as honest as the day is long. After 20 years on the bench he remains unswayed by politics, wealth or special interests ... including Mike Madigan. But I am not surprised that you have been hearing ads associating him with Madigan because Madigan is everybody’s favorite boogey-man this election year.”

The only Kilbride-Madigan connection I know is that they are both Democrats. Tom Kilbride ran as a Democrat the first time he ran for judge. Every first-time candidate for judge runs as either a Democrat or Republican. The whole Illinois Democratic Party endorsed Kilbride. But that was the Party's decision, not Madigan's. He does not tell the Democratic party committee members how to vote. I know because I was on the State party committee, and the chair never told me how to vote.

And I can tell you that Madigan does not tell Tom Kilbride how to vote on cases in front of the Supreme Court. Because I know Tom Kilbride, I know that if Madigan ever did try to tell him how to vote, Tom would tell Madigan he was out of line.

That said, you couldn't find a better Supreme Court Justice than Tom Kilbride. He is always looking out for the little guy and fights to be sure every voice is heard. Tom has a strong record on protecting crime victims. He also sees things through the eyes of an ordinary person. In his early years Tom worked as a machinist, a laborer, and an organizer for the United Farm Workers. His first job out of law school was working in a free legal clinic.

One thing I can add: Tom was endorsed by former governor Jim Thompson before he died last month and Dan Webb, both good Republicans. I am sure they didn't think he is "Madigan's guy."

If you vote for Tom Kilbride, you will be voting for a good, fair, honest man and a great judge.

Peg Breslin

Ottawa