Jill Rose Quinn Becomes the First Transgender Illinois Judge-Elect

A consultant on a wide range of political and advocacy campaigns, Sean Tenner has served as the president of Chicago’s KNI Communications since 2008. In 2020, Sean Tenner led candidates to multiple wins in the Democratic Primary.

One of these candidates was Cook County Circuit Court judge-elect Jill Rose Quinn. Taking the Democratic Primary in March with the backing of mainstream party players, she was the first openly transgender person that Illinois Democrats have ever officially endorsed.

Facing no opposition, Republican or otherwise, in the general election, Jill Rose Quinn makes history as the first openly transgender judge-elect in Illinois. Prior to her rise to the bench, only three openly transgender judges have been elected in the United States.

Before running for judge, Jill Rose Quinn was a family attorney who operated a firm in Chicago for over two decades. She has also served as a board member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and as a mentor to less-experienced attorneys from the LGBT community.