D'Anthony Thedford, appointed to the Cook County Circuit Court bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2024, is running for election to the Karkula Vacancy seat on Nov. 3, 2026. Thedford, a Democrat, built a decades-long career in criminal defense before joining the bench.
The Illinois State Bar Association reported Thedford's appointment as an at-large judge in Cook County. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (Karkula Vacancy)
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: Bachelor's degree from Southern Adventist University (1992); J.D. from the University of Alabama (1996)
Experience and public service
Thedford spent eight years as an assistant public defender at the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, serving from 1997 to 2005, according to the Illinois State Bar Association. He then opened a solo practice. The Law Office of Tony Thedford PC operated from 2005 to 2016.
He went on to practice at Thedford Garber Law from 2016 to 2024, according to BallotReady profile data. Outside the courtroom, Thedford served as director of trial advocacy at Valparaiso University from 2017 to 2019. He has been an adjunct professor at DePaul University since 2019.
Thedford is a board member of the Illinois Prison Project. He is a former president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a former board member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, according to the Illinois State Bar Association.
Endorsements
Thedford has received endorsements from bar associations, labor unions and the local Democratic party organization, according to WTTW's 2026 primary voter guide, the Illinois State Bar Association and BallotReady profile data:
- Chicago-area bar association alliance (13 associations), rated Qualified with a unanimous overall rating
- Chicago Bar Association, rated Highly Qualified
- IUOE Local 150
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134
- Chicago Federation of Labour
- Cook County Democrats
Candidate information in this profile is drawn from producer-reviewed sources including the Illinois State Bar Association, WTTW's voter guide and BallotReady. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.
