Democrat Sheila Simon Concedes to Republican Judy Baar Topinka in Comptroller Race
In this Feb. 1, 2012 file photo, Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka looks on during Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's State of the State address at the State Capitol in Springfield. (Seth Perlman/AP)
Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka has been re-elected to a second term over Democratic challenger Sheila Simon.
The Riverside Republican is a former three-term state treasurer. She campaigned on having a better understanding of the check-writing job's intricacies than her opponent.
Topinka cheered her supporters and staff Tuesday, saying she has "the best darn office in the state."
Simon, of Carbondale, is the lieutenant governor. She sought to portray Topinka as an old-style politician guilty of using clout. Simon said she would have brought unprecedented transparency to the position. In a concession speech Tuesday, Simon said she was happy to have been part of the process.
Topinka says she's implemented a policy of prioritizing payments for nonprofits and social service agencies as the state deals with a multibillion-dollar bill backlog.