Cook County Circuit Court Judge Jill Rose Quinn faces a retention question on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. In a retention race, voters cast a yes-or-no vote on whether to keep the judge in office.

Quinn, the first openly transgender circuit court judge in Illinois, was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in November 2020, according to the Lavender Law conference. She was also the first openly transgender elected official in the state.

The retention race is nonpartisan.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science and government, State University of New York at Binghamton (1976); juris doctor, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Background: Grew up in Queens, New York; youngest of four siblings

Experience and public service

Quinn's career spans more than four decades in law and public service. She worked as a food program specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture starting in 1979, according to the Cook County Democratic Party. She also worked as a community organizer in Texas and Des Moines, Iowa.

Quinn began practicing law in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1983. She served as village attorney for Glen Ellyn from 1983 to 1990. She then worked as an arbitrator in DuPage County from 1990 to 1993 and in Cook County from 1993 to 1997, according to BallotReady.

Quinn has operated the Law Office of Jill Rose Quinn since 1997. She has served as a Cook County Circuit Court judge since her 2020 election, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County.

On the issues

LGBTQ+ rights and the judiciary: Quinn has said her perspective as a member of the transgender community and as a sole practitioner brings a unique dimension to the Cook County bench, according to her Lavender Law conference profile. She has said she has educated other judges about parenting time issues when children are transgender or when parents are transgender.

Endorsements

Quinn has received the following endorsement, as claimed by the endorser:

  • Cook County Democratic Party

Professional memberships

Quinn says she is a member of the following organizations, according to her LAGBAC profile:

  • National LGBT Bar Association
  • International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges
  • Illinois Judges Association
  • Alliance of Illinois Judges
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Women's Bar Association of Illinois
  • Cook County Bar Association
  • Chicago Council of Lawyers

Candidate information was drawn from a reviewed candidate profile, public records and candidate questionnaire responses. Questionnaire answers reflect the candidate's own statements.