Judy Koehler (born September 20, 1941) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Appellate Court Justice.
Illinois House of Representatives
Koehler was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1980,
defeating incumbent Representative Donald Anderson in the Republican primary.
["Voters Hand Defeat to Thompson, Incumbents", United Press International, The Daily Chronicle, March 19, 1980. p. 19.] Koehler received the most votes in the primary, in which the two candidates receiving the most votes were nominated.
["Upsets scored on both sides in state Legislature bids", The Pantagraph October 17, 1980. p. A5.] Koehler also received the most votes in the general election, in which the three candidates receiving the most votes were elected.
["State Representative", The Pantagraph November 6, 1980. p. A2.]
Koehler first represented the 45th district,["State Home Economists to Meet", The Pantagraph October 17, 1982. p. D4.] but after the Cutback Amendment was redistricted into the 89th district with fellow incumbent Republican Representative Jay Ackerman. The 89th district included all or parts of Marshall, McLean, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford counties in north-central Illinois.[ Illinois Blue Book 1987-1988 page 59] Koehler defeated Ackerman by a wide margin.["Koehler wins 89th", The Pantagraph, March 17, 1982. p. A2.]["Democrat opens bid to unseat Koehler", The Pantagraph, September 4, 1982. p. A2.]["Election 82", The Pantagraph, November 3, 1982. p. A4.] Koehler was unopposed in the 1984 general election.["Election 84", The Pantagraph, November 8, 1984. p. A4.] Koehler served as Representative for the 89th district until 1987.["Democratic Senate Will Temper Reagan, Dixon Predicts", The Pantagraph, November 7, 1986. p. A2.] Koehler's district was based in north-central Illinois.[" Concluding House Choices", Chicago Tribune, March 06, 1986. Retrieved October 30, 2016.]
Koehler opposed the $8,000 a year pay raise that the legislature voted to give itself in a lame-duck session in 1978, and returned $8,000 of her pay to the state treasury every year she was in office, returning a total of $48,000 over her 6 years in office.[Elger, Daniel & Franklin, Tim. " State House Shies Away From Higher Pay", Chicago Tribune, June 27, 1986. Retrieved November 1, 2016.][Franklin, Tim. " Legislators Near Showdown On Padding Their Paydays", Chicago Tribune, April 28, 1986. Retrieved November 1, 2016.]
1986 United States Senate election
In 1986, Koehler ran for the United States Senate.
Koehler defeated
Inland Steel executive George Ranneywik in the Republican primary,
[Sanders, Ty. "Koehler Rails Against Opponents at Fund-raiser", The Pantagraph, January 23, 1986. p. A5.][Lynn Sweet, " Left to Chance: Republicans won’t get a double punch at the top of the ticket in November", NPR Illinois WUIS, January 1, 2002. Retrieved October 31, 2016.] but was unable to oust incumbent Alan Dixon in the general election.
She was succeeded in the Illinois House of Representatives by John "Jay" Ackerman, who she had defeated in the 1982 Republican primary for the seat.
[ Illinois Blue Book 1987-1988 page 108]
Later career
In 1992, a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Koehler was admitted to the Illinois State Bar.
[Ricahrdson, Scott. "Voters to fill Heiple's state Supreme Court seat", The Pantagraph, October 30, 2000.] Koehler served as an assistant DuPage County state's attorney.
[" GOP House Leader Rep. Michel To Retire", Chicago Tribune, October 05, 1993. Retrieved November 1, 2016.] In 1994, Koehler ran for U.S. Congress in Illinois's 18th congressional district to replace the retiring Republican Robert H. Michel. Koehler lost in the primary to Michel's Chief of Staff and endorsed successor
Ray LaHood.
[Gizzi, John. " Gizzi on Politics: August 13-17 ", Human Events, August 13, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2016.]
Following her run for Congress, Koehler became senior legislative counsel of Americans United for Life.[" Supreme Court Gives, Takes In Abortion Cases", Chicago Tribune, June 17, 1997. Retrieved November 1, 2016.] In May 1998, Judy Koehler was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court by Illinois Supreme Court Justice James Heiple, to fill the vacancy of Michael McCuskey, who had become a federal judge.[" Former lawmaker now on the bench", Illinois Issues, July/August 1998. Retrieved October 31, 2016.] She narrowly defeated appellate attorney Karen Kendall of Princeville and law professor Michael Closen of Lockport in the Republican primary garnering 34.17% of the vote to Kendall's 33.23% and Closen's 32.60%.
Electoral history
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Illinois House of Representatives District 45 Republican primary, 1980
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Judy Koehler, 40,481, 52%
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Jay Ackerman, 22,654, 29%
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Donald Anderson, 14,266, 18%
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Illinois House of Representatives District 45 election, 1980
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Judy Koehler (R), 92,386, 36%
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John "Jay" Ackerman (R), 77,403, 30%
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Joe Ozella, Jr. (D), 51,823, 20%
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Bernice Jackson (D), 36,946, 14%
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Illinois House of Representatives District 89 Republican primary, 1982
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Judy Koehler, 9,561, 72%
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John "Jay" Ackerman, 3,642, 28%
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Illinois House of Representatives District 89 election, 1982
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Judy Koehler (R), 25,393, 76%
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Mike McNally (D), 8,105, 24%
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Illinois House of Representatives District 89 election, 1984
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Judy Koehler (R), 127,475, 100%
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Republican primary for United States Senate in Illinois, 1986
[Green, Paul M. " Party politics in Illinois: Republicans v. Democrats et al.", Illinois Issues, August & September 1986. Retrieved November 1, 2016.]
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Judy Koehler, 266,214, 55%
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George Ranney, 217,720, 45%
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United States Senate election in Illinois, 1986
[ Federal Elections 86, Federal Election Commission, May 1987. p. 4. Retrieved October 26, 2016.]
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Alan Dixon (D), 2,033,783, 65%
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Judy Koehler (R), 1,053,734, 34%
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Illinois's 18th congressional district Republican primary, 1994
[ Federal Elections 94, Federal Election Commission, March 1995. p. 64. Retrieved October 30, 2016.]
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Ray LaHood, 33,956, 50%
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Judy Koehler, 26,809, 40%
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Dennis Lee Higgins, 6,959, 10%
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3rd District Appellate Court Republican primary, 2000
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Judy Koehler, 34,945, 34%
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Karen L. Kendall, 33,981, 33%
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Michael L. Closen, 33,981, 33%
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3rd District Appellate Court election, 2000
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Mary McDade (D), 318,151, 51%
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Judy Koehler (R), 301,751, 49%
