Luz Maria Toledo, a Democrat and longtime Cook County assistant state's attorney, is running for Circuit Court judge in the Cobbs Vacancy seat in the Nov. 3 general election.

Toledo won the Democratic primary on March 17, defeating appointed incumbent Linda Sackey, according to Ballotpedia. She took 56.8% of the vote. Out of 610,156 ballots cast, Toledo received 346,749.

Toledo received an overall "Qualified" rating from the Chicago Bar Association Alliance of bar associations in the 2026 primary voter guide, according to WTTW's voter guide. All 13 individual bar associations rated her "Recommended" or "Qualified."

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (Cobbs Vacancy)
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, University of Illinois at Chicago (2001); juris doctor, University of Illinois Chicago (2006)
  • Background: Toledo describes herself as a first-generation Mexican-American woman attorney

Experience and public service

Toledo has spent most of her legal career at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. She started as a law clerk in 2006 and became an assistant state's attorney in 2007. Since 2018, she has worked in the office's Real Estate Litigation Section, according to a Women's Bar Association of Illinois profile.

During her first 11 years as an assistant state's attorney, Toledo said she handled criminal prosecution. She said she tried hundreds of bench trials and motions and nearly 30 jury trials on charges ranging from narcotics to murder.

Before joining the State's Attorney's Office, Toledo served as a policy advisor in the Illinois Lieutenant Governor's Office under Pat Quinn from 2006 to 2007. She also clerked for Judge Elizabeth Loredo-Rivera at the Office of the Chief Judge in Cook County from 2005 to 2006. Her legal career began with a summer internship at Lavelle & Motta, Ltd. in 2004.

On the issues

Criminal justice and public safety

Toledo said her goal as a judge is to ensure every person who enters her courtroom is treated with respect, fairness and dignity regardless of their background. She said she wants to make the legal system more accessible, especially for communities who have historically felt overlooked.

Her prosecutorial experience shapes her judicial philosophy, Toledo said. She said her years as a prosecutor taught her the importance of both accountability and compassion and that she would bring that balanced perspective to the bench.

Endorsements

Toledo has received endorsements from the following organizations, according to BallotReady:

  • Cook County Democrats
  • Chicago Federation of Labour
  • IUOE Local 150
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134

Toledo said she is the only Latina judicial candidate endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party countywide for the 2026 election.

Candidate issue responses were provided through BallotReady and the Women's Bar Association of Illinois. Statements attributed to Toledo reflect her own descriptions of her record and positions.