Toledo seeks Cook County Circuit Court bench in 2026

Luz Maria Toledo, a Democratic candidate for Cook County Circuit Court judge, faces voters Nov. 3 in the general election for the Cobbs Vacancy seat.

Toledo, an assistant state's attorney in Cook County since 2007, won the Democratic primary on March 17 with 56.8% of the vote, defeating appointed incumbent Linda Sackey, according to Ballotpedia. She received 346,749 votes out of 610,156 cast.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: Cook County Circuit Court Judge (Cobbs Vacancy)
Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, University of Illinois at Chicago (2001); juris doctor, University of Illinois Chicago (2006)
Bar ratings: 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. Individual bar associations rated her "Recommended" or "Qualified" across all 13 evaluating groups.

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, according to BallotReady profile data.

During her first 11 years as a prosecutor, Toledo said she handled criminal cases, trying hundreds of bench trials and motions and nearly 30 jury trials on charges ranging from narcotics to murder. She has served in the office's Real Estate Litigation Section since 2018, according to a Women's Bar Association of Illinois profile.

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.

Toledo described herself as a first-generation Mexican-American woman attorney in her Women's Bar Association profile.

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 that have historically felt overlooked, according to her campaign website.

Her pitch centers on balance. Toledo said her years as a prosecutor taught her the importance of both accountability and compassion, and that she would bring that perspective to the bench.