D'Anthony "Tony" Thedford

Democratic

Circuit Court Judge, Cook County (Vacancy of Karkula)

AI wrote this from the sources listed below. A second AI checked each sentence against its source, and software checked the links and dates. A person didn’t review it, so every sentence links to its source for you to check. Updated Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

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Overview

D’Anthony “Tony” Thedford was appointed to the Circuit Court in December 2024 and serves in the Pretrial Division.¹ He spent eight years as a Cook County Assistant Public Defender.² He later practiced criminal defense and civil rights law at his own firm and as a partner at Thedford Garber Law.¹

Campaign money

Reporting period: July 1 to September 30, 2026
Raised: $0
Cash on hand: -$165

Source: Illinois State Board of Elections filings for Friends of Judge D'Anthony (Tony) Thedford

Endorsements and bar evaluations

Chicago Federation of Labor⁵Union
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399⁶Union
Plumbers Local 130 UA⁷Union
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150¹¹Union
Cook County Democratic Party³Party
47th Ward Democrats⁴Party

Chicago Bar Association: “Highly Qualified”⁸
Chicago Council of Lawyers: “Qualified”⁹
Illinois State Bar Association: “Qualified”¹
Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening: 9 of 11 other member groups rated this judge “Recommended”, 2 “Qualified”.¹⁰ Each group’s rating (PDF)

Sources

Cook County Judicial Evaluations - Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Chicago Council of Lawyers Evaluation Report – Vote For Judges, Chicago Council of Lawyers. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Cook County Democrats slate 5 judicial candidates, prepare for lean 2026 war chest, Injustice Watch. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Endorsements - 47th Ward Democrats, 47th Ward Democrats. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL ELECTION ENDORSED CANDIDATES, Chicago Federation of Labor. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
2026 LOCAL 399 ILLINOIS PRIMARY ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY THE POLITICAL ACTION TASK FRCE, Plumbers Local 130 UA. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Vote Smart: CBA Judicial Voter's Guide, General Election, November 3, 2026, Chicago Bar Association. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Evaluation Report: Judges on the Ballot in the November 3, 2026 General Election, Chicago Council of Lawyers. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, 2026 General Election ratings, Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
IUOE Local 150 Illinois Endorsements, General Election, November 3, 2026 (Cook County), IUOE Local 150. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.