“Experience that Matters” has been the message from Andrew Doyle, the Republican nominee for Illinois’ 9th Judicial Circuit. This week, I had the chance to sit down and conduct an interview with Doyle to give the campus community a closer look at the campaign.
In explaining what sets his experience apart from his rival, Judge Emily Sutton, Doyle pointed to his time since 2012 as the Warren County State’s Attorney, saying: “In our Judicial Circuit, about 75% of cases are criminal cases…I’ve dealt with all types of these cases, ranging from the typical driving ticket all the way up to murder trials.” Doyle further noted that this time has enabled him to develop the skills needed to carry out the job of Circuit Judge, as he explains “It is something that you don’t develop overnight... As an attorney or judge, you have to have quick intuition in order to make judgment calls on whether or not someone has respect for the law and made a mistake, or if they are a repeat offender and need a harsher sentence to deter the crime from happening again.” Another point Doyle made clear is his appreciation for the Monmouth College community in helping to organize his campaign, as he notes: “Robin Johnson (political science professor) has been great. He reached out to me early about getting several students on campus to help with our campaign. It’s incredible that he thought of me and the ability of the college community to help impact our local communities.”
In addition to support from the college community, Doyle has also seen some notable endorsements, as he describes: “Four of the five State’s Attorneys have endorsed me, and that is a bipartisan group. A bipartisan group of sheriffs also endorsed me, as well as chief judge David Vancil.”
My final question for Andy Doyle was why he believes a candidate with local roots to the community is so important. Doyle responded: “Every community has a slightly different set of morals and values. My experience growing up here in Monmouth has been unique in that it represents a huge cross-section in our community. I worked on farms, I worked at Smithfield Foods as well as Wells Pet Foods and at Italian Village growing up. I believe that gives me a unique perspective when dealing with people who come to court.”
For residents of Warren, Knox, McDonough, Henderson, Fulton, and Hancock counties, Doyle will be on the ballot against Democratic challenger Emily Sutton on November 3rd.
Riley Dulin - Political Editor